Sports Jan. 15, 2012

Sports Sunday, January 15, 2012 www.livingstondaily.com

Lions have no choice with Calvin It doesn’t make fiscal sense paying a wide receiver $50 million guaranteed with an annual salary-cap hit in the neighborhood of $20 million. Show me a consistently winning team in which the wide receiver is the highest-paid — or nexthighest-paid — player on the team. It doesn’t happen, because wide receiver remains the most easily interchangeable position in football.

But the Lions have no choice but caving to Calvin Johnson’s demands on a contract extension this summer.

Johnson, with one year GNS COLUMNIST left on his contract, coyly demurred this week when asked about his profound negotiating leverage.

He became the NFL’s top receiver this season, becoming the weekly analytical subject of the network football talking heads who branded him an unstoppable force. Johnson had three 200-yard receiving games in the last four games.

There’s no doubting he’s an exceptional talent. But lost within the idolatry is that it’s easier finding the next Calvin Johnson than it is the next Darrelle Revis.

The NFL keeps introducing more big, fast and athletic receivers than it does defensive backs capable of containing them. And it’s why, sooner rather than later, you will see the league rules tilt a bit more toward the defense. Fans will get bored with 45-41 shoot-outs. But perhaps more telling, the big-play, big-threat receiver won’t be that big of a deal any longer because most teams will have at least one.

Tim Tebow received all the hurrahs and hosannas for his one-play, one-pass overtime victory against Pittsburgh last weekend, but it was Demaryius Thomas who turned a short crossing route into an 80yard touchdown because he was big and strong enough to stiff-arm himself free from a defensive back and break a tackle. And fast enough to motor down the sideline before anybody could catch him.

Never heard of Demaryius Thomas?

He was a stud receiver at Georgia Tech who immediately filled the void of another stud Yellow Jackets receiver ... Calvin Johnson.

Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald became the highest-paid nonquarterback when he signed an eight-year, $120-million extension in August with approximately $40 million guaranteed. That’s the bar Johnson will clear ... with ease. But it’s unlikely other receivers will come close to matching the contractual standard Johnson will reach despite coming close to the statistical standard he set this season — 96 receptions, 16 touchdowns and a league-high 1,681 receiving yards.

With more quality prostyle quarterbacks and big, physical and fast receivers falling out of the college tree like ripened fruit every spring, it won’t be long before teams realize that receivers like Johnson and Fitzgerald are the NFL rule rather than the exception.

That won’t help the Lions now. They’re like the Cardinals with Fitzgerald a year ago. They can’t risk losing the public goodwill acquired from a one-time laughingstock becoming respectable. They’ll pay ... and pay dearly.

Drew Sharp is a GNS columnist.

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Wilson: Alleged hazing not only factor in firing

Detroit’s Todd Bertuzzi scored a goal in overtime to lift the Red Wings over Chicago on Saturday, 3-2.

PHOTO BY CARLOS OSORIO/AP

WINGS WATCH

• SATURDAY: Detroit 3, Chicago 2

• MONDAY: Vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

• TV: FSD

Wings win in OT

Drew Sharp

Home win streak at 14

By Larry Lage ASSOCIATED PRESS

Saturday.

Before Schmitz can take over as coach, superintendent Ron Wilson said on Saturday, he will have to pass a background check, be fingerprinted and fill out an affidavit saying he is healthy enough to coach.

Schmitz and assistant Gordon Meisel, who was

DETROIT — Todd Bertuzzi scored his second goal Saturday at 4:21 in overtime, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Detroit has won 14 straight at home to match a franchise record set in 1965.

Chicago’s Jonathan Toews forced overtime with 51.7 seconds left in the third period, picking up his 23rd goal of the season.

Pavel Datsyuk assisted on two goals in the first period, but the Red Wings couldn’t score the third goal they needed in regulation.

Chicago began the day atop the tightly contested Central Division — leading St. Louis by a point, Detroit by two points and Nashville by five — and has a chance to end it in third place behind the Blues and Red Wings.

Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, who gave up a goal to rookie Andrew Shaw late in the second period, made 25 saves to earn his NHL-high 26th win.

Corey Crawford had to make 40 saves to give the Blackhawks a shot to win.

After pulling Crawford for an extra skater, Chicago called timeout and scored following a faceoff in the Detroit end.

The Red Wings haven’t lost at home since Nov. 3, when Calgary beat them 41.

The Blackhawks have won just three of their last

Continued on page 5

Continued on page 4

Former Howell hockey coach Randy Montrose, shown during a game in November, and his staff were fired after school officials learned he had had a physical altercation with a player’s parent and had been consuming alcohol while his team was on a trip to Marquette last weekend, Howell Public Schools superintendent Ron Wilson said.

Montrose and his staff were fired on Thursday. PHOTO BY ALAN WARD/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

‘A combination’

Coaches’ drinking, altercation proved too much

By Tim Robinson DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Howell Public Schools superintendent Ron Wilson said Saturday that several factors, including an alleged hazing incident, led to the firing of former hockey coach Randy Montrose and assistants Scott Gardiner and Marty Passino on Thursday.

“We interviewed a number of students who acknowledged there was drinking on the bus both on the way up and back,” Wilson said. “There was a combination of things.

T h e coach admitted being involved in a physical altercation with one of Wilson the parents. He admitted consuming alcohol on a school trip and that it had been going on for years.”

That, including what Montrose called a “runway walk” skit at a bar across the street from the team’s hotel, prompted

Wilson to terminate the coaches’ contracts with Professional Educational Services Group, which paid them.

“Any one of those three things would have been enough to merit a dismissal,” Wilson said.

“Unfortunately, when we have a combination of inappropriate behavior and misconduct, it doesn’t leave us any option but to dismiss those in charge.”

In addition, Wilson said, players were allowed to leave the hotel without the coaches to attend a Northern Michigan

University hockey game unchaperoned.

“Once we realized that all three coaches were involved, a suspension didn’t make a lot of sense,” Wilson said. “We were going to be in the same position (after the investigation ended).”

Some of the pictures of the runway walk that were texted to Wilson, he said, later appeared on Detroit-area TV stations and on Facebook.

Since, Wilson added, all Continued on page 5

Ex-Howell standout takes over as interim coach

By Tim Robinson DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Thursday, after Howell Public Schools found itself looking for a hockey coach, athletic director Dan Hutcheson called Darrin Schmitz.

“I gave Dan my opinion, without his asking,” Schmitz said Friday night, chuckling. “I told him they needed someone

from the outside who doesn’t know any of the kids to come in and coach the team.”

Friday, Schmitz was that guy, hired as an interim replacement for Randy Montrose, who was fired Thursday for an alleged hazing incident the week before.

“I thought Randy would be there forever,” said Schmitz, a longtime travel

team coach who was a standout at Howell in the mid-1980s. “I didn’t ask for the coaching job.

When I found out about it, people called me and asked if I would consider, and I said yes, I would.”

Schmitz was on the bench, but not in the head coaching role, when the Highlanders played Walled Lake Northern at Lakeland Arena on

Iowa thumps U-M

MSU streak ends

Wolverines still winless on road

Northwestern upsets MSU, 81-74

By Ryan J. Foley

By Rick Gano

ASSOCIATED PRESS

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Tim Hardaway Jr. started off cold for No. 13 Michigan on Saturday, and never found a rhythm.

The Wolverines’ leading scorer was held to nine points on 2-of-13 shooting as Iowa beat the Wolverines 75-59.

Hardaway, who came in averaging 16 points per game, missed all eight 3point attempts, some that were open and some that

U-M WATCH

ASSOCIATED PRESS

• SATURDAY: Iowa 75, Michigan 59

• TUESDAY: Vs. MSU, 7 p.m.

• TV: ESPN

were tightly guarded or illadvised.

“He’s just got to keep working and trying to get better shots ...but it’s part of basketball,” Michigan coach John Beilein said.

“It’s part of any great Continued on page 2

Michigan’s Trey Burke drives past an Iowa guard during Saturday’s game.

U-M lost to Iowa, 75-59.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP

EVANSTON, Ill. — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo fretted during practice that some of his younger players would have a difficult time adjusting to the tempo and unique style of Northwestern’s offense.

Stopping an offense predicated on back-door cuts, picks and late-in-theclock 3-pointers is hard to emulate in a non-game situation. As it turned out, Izzo had a reason to worry.

MSU WATCH

• SATURDAY:

Northwestern 81, MSU 74 • TUESDAY: At U-M, 7 p.m.

• TV: ESPN

The No. 6 Spartans couldn’t contain the Wildcats in the second half Saturday and had trouble making shots of their own as they watched their 15game winning streak end in Continued on page 2

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D AILY PRESS & ARGUS-Sunday, January 15, 2012

FSU stuns Tar Heels

U-M falls to Iowa on road

N.C. win streak ends ASSOCIATED PRESS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Deividas Dulkys scored a career-high 32 points and Michael Snaer added 17 as Florida State stunned No. 3 North Carolina 90-57 on Saturday, snapping the Tar Heels’ nine-game winning streak.

The Seminoles (11-6, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) started the second half on a 30-8 run to take a 66-36 lead en route to handing North Carolina its most lopsided conference loss since a 9656 loss to Maryland in 2003.

It was the worst loss for North Carolina under coach Roy Williams.

Harrison Barnes scored 15 points and Tyler Zeller added 14 for North Carolina (15-3, 2-1), which finished 4 of 21 from 3point range.

No. 2 Kentucky 65, Tennessee 62 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Darius Miller made two free throws and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added another in the final 20 seconds and No. 2 Kentucky beat Tennessee.

No. 4 Baylor 106, Oklahoma St. 65 WACO, Texas — Perry Jones III had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 4 Baylor made a season-high 15 3-pointers to stay undefeated with a victory over Oklahoma State (17-0, 4-0 Big 12).

No. 9 Missouri 84, Texas 73 COLUMBIA, Mo. — Phil Pressey had 18 points, including seven straight to get No. 9 Missouri out of trouble in the second half of a victory over Texas.

Ricardo Ratliffe made his first eight shots and had 21 points for the Tigers (16-1, 3-1 Big 12).

No. 10 Kansas 82, Iowa State 73 LAWRENCE, Kan. —

left.

“Even earlier when he was missing he was taking great looks. They all looked like they were going to go in. Then he got hot,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said of Gatens, who was 4 of 7 from behind the arc, 5 of 5 from the free throw line and had three steals.

Freshman point guard Trey Burke led Michigan (14-4, 4-2) with 19 points despite playing only 7 minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls. Zack Novak added 14 points and eight rebounds and kept the game close with four 3pointers.

“We took a couple of hope 3s and a couple of hope passes,” said Beilein, who also bemoaned his players’ failure to hit some wide-open looks. “We couldn’t string anything together.”

With the loss, the Wolverines fell out of a tie for second place in the Big Ten and failed to pick up their first conference road win.

Reserve forward Aaron White added 12 points and McCabe had 11 for Iowa after scoring the game’s first six.

McCaffery said he was pleased Iowa outrebounded the Wolverines 39-30, had 18 assists on 25 baskets and only eight turnovers.

The Hawkeyes finished the first half on an 11-5 run to take a 33-23 lead. The run included two big plays

by Marble: an acrobatic left-handed layup as part of a three-point play, and a fadeaway jumper from the right wing that beat the buzzer and brought the crowd at Carver Hawkeye Arena to its feet.

Michigan struggled in the first half with poor shooting, including making just 3 of 16 3-point shots attempts, and had eight turnovers. In the second half, the Wolverines cut Iowa’s lead to 43-37 before Basabe’s finger roll in the lane started Iowa’s 10-0 run.

Continued from page 1

Florida State’s Michael Snaer gets a shot off past the defense of North Carolina’s Jackson Simmons during Saturday’s game. The Seminoles upset the Tar Heels, 90-57. PH OTO BY STEVE CA NN O N/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tyshawn Taylor scored 22 of h i s c a r e e rhigh 28 OP points a f t e r halftime, and No. 10 Kansas used a game-changing second-half run to knock off Iowa State.

No. 22 San Diego State 69, No. 12 UNLV 67 SAN DIEGO — Jamaal Franklin made an off-balance layup with three-tenths of a second left to give No. 22 San Diego State a thrilling victory over No. 12 UNLV. Franklin had 24 points and James Rahon added 22 points for SDSU (15-2).

No. 14 Louisville 76, DePaul 59 LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

T

25

Russ Smith scored 25 points, Chris Smith added 20 and No. 14 Louisville got back on the right track with a victory over DePaul. The Cardinals (14-4, 2-3 Big East) avoided their first three-game home losing streak in 11 years.

No. 17 Connecticut 67, Notre Dame 53 SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Shabazz Napier scored 16 points and freshman Andre Drummond had 10 points and 13 rebounds to lead No. 17 Connecticut to a victory over Notre Dame, snapping the Fighting Irish’s 29game home winning streak.

Oklahoma 82, No. 18 Kansas St. 73 NORMAN, Okla. — Andrew Fitzgerald scored

21 points to lead four Oklahoma players in double figures and the Sooners got their first Big 12 win under coach Lon Kruger.

No. 20 Mississippi St. 56, Alabama 52 STARKVILLE, Miss. — Arnett Moultrie had 25 points and 13 rebounds, and No. 20 Mississippi State rallied in the final minutes to beat Alabama.

No. 25 Marquette 62, Pittsburgh 57 MILWAUKEE — Darius Johnson-Odom scored 18 points and Jae Crowder added 15 to help No. 25 Marquette hand Pittsburgh its sixth straight loss. The Panthers (11-7, 0-5) remain the only winless team in the Big East.

perimeter player. You’re going to go through this and what you just do is work.”

When Hardaway hit four free throws early in the second half and had a breakaway dunk as Michigan cut Iowa’s lead to 43-37, it looked like he finally would get going. But he missed the four shots he took the rest of the game.

Iowa went on a 10-0 and the game was never really close again.

Iowa’s Matt Gatens, who picked up three steals and guarded Hardaway much of the game, said Iowa’s zone appeared to confuse Hardaway.

“Tim’s an impressive player,” he said. “You just got to stay with him, don’t’ give him any open looks, limit his touches and try to keep him uncomfortable. I thought we did a good job of that.”

Gatens hit three 3-pointers in the second half, including one as part of the 10-0 run and another to put the game out of reach, and finished with 19 points as the Hawkeyes snapped a two-game losing streak and picked up their first conference home win. Roy Devyn Marble added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists for Iowa (11-8, 3-3 Big Ten).

Iowa went on a 10-0 run in the second half to build a 53-37 lead. The spurt included a 3-pointer by Gatens and a dunk by forward Melsahn Basabe — both on assists from backup point guard Bryce Cartwright, who finished with five to go along with four points and two steals.

Gatens’ final 3-pointer came after Zach McCabe dived to the court to corral a loose ball at midcourt and stop a potential Michigan fast break. Cartwright found him open in the right corner with a cross-court pass, and Gatens drilled it, giving Iowa a 63-48 lead with less than 5 minutes

Wildcats upset Spartans, 81-74 But Dave Sobolewski hit two free throws and Shurna made another 3-pointer from the top of the key and the lead was back to 10.

Continued from page 1

Michigan’s Zack Novak tries to steal the ball from Iowa guard Roy Devyn Marble during Saturday’s game. PH OTO

BY CH ARLIE NEIBERG ALL/ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Northwestern’s Reggie Hearn fouls MSU’s Keith Appling during Saturday’s game. Northwestern won 81-74. PH OTO

BY BRIA N KERSEYASSOCIATED PRESS

pull of an important victory.

Northwestern fans stormed the court to celebrate. The Wildcats needed the win badly after a twopoint overtime loss at Michigan three days earlier and a one-point setback against Illinois in their previous home game.

“Curletti was the difference in the game, if you ask me,” said Izzo, who fell to 26-4 against the Wildcats in his career.

“I thought he played extremely well and outplayed our centers and that’s something we’ve been pretty solid on lately.”

John Shurna had 22 points, 13 in the second half, and Drew Crawford had 20 for the Wildcats (12-5, 2-3).

Michigan State (15-3, 4-1) lost for the first time since it was beaten by Duke at

Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15.

“The main thing was stopping them in transition because they have so many fast guards,” said Crawford, who has been battling the flu. “Once we were able to stop them in transition, we’re confident in our zone in the half court and we were kind of able to slow them down a bit, which really helped us out.”

After such a torrid shooting first half, the Spartans missed 12 of their first 15 field goal attempts in the second. Shurna broke free for a layup and minutes later had a dunk as Northwestern increased the lead to 12 with 8:32 left.

State rallied with a 7-0 run started by Travis Trice’s 3-pointer and cut the lead to 69-64 with 5:32 left.

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an 81-74 loss.

“We knew this was going to be a tough game for us with the youth that we have.

We are not surprised, of course we don’t usually get hit with the backcuts, but we are not surprised,” Spartans forward Draymond Green said.

“We have freshmen and they have to understand that the way you guard other people you can’t do that against Northwestern.

It’s not all their fault, we still have to a better job of helping them, but we will be fine.”

Keith Appling had 17 points for the Spartans (153, 4-1) and Green had another strong game with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

The Spartans shot 65 percent in the first half and still trailed by two. In the second, they made just 34 percent.

“We didn’t lose that game on the offensive end, we lost it on the defensive end,” Izzo said. “We’re not allowed to give up 81 points.

It’s ridiculous.”

Northwestern shot 54 percent in the second half, finishing right at 50 against a team that was allowing just 37 percent all season.

Teams had been averaging just 59.6 points against the Spartans through the first 17 games.

What really hurt Michigan State was the play of backup center Davide Curletti, who made his first start of the season and second of his career. Curletti had a season-high 17 points and six rebounds and his hustle helped the Wildcats

Su n day, Jan uary 15, 2012-D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

SPORTS

Paterno speaks out

BRIEFS

U-M hockey heads outdoors CLEVELAND — Michigan and Ohio State are set to take their heated rivalry outside into the snow, wind and ice. With helmets similar to the ones they wear in football, the Wolverines and Buckeyes will meet today in Ohio’s first outdoor college hockey game, which will take place on a rink built over the Cleveland Indians’ dirt and grass infield. A crowd of 30,000 is expected at Progressive Field for the unique event, which will wrap up the baseball team’s second annual Snow Days.

Runner sets Trials record HOUSTON — Shalane Flanagan won the U.S. women’s Olympic trial on Saturday to qualify for her third Olympic Games.

Desiree Davila, who trains in Rochester, finished second and Kara Goucher was third to make up the women’s team that will represent the U.S. in London. Flanagan ran 2 hours, 25 minutes and 38 seconds, an Olympic trial record. Meb Keflezighi won the men’s race in 2:09, to qualify for his third Games.

NCAA asks for new proposal INDIANAPOLIS — Recruits who sign lettersof-intent in February and April will not have access to an extra $2,000 in money after the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors delayed a decision on the new stipend Saturday. The board was expected to modify language for compliance with Title IX regulations and partial scholarships. Instead, it asked a working group to make a new proposal in April.

Islanders goalie to have surgery UNIONDALE, N.Y. — New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro will have surgery Tuesday to repair a sports hernia, likely sidelining the oft-injured player for most of the rest of the season. The 30-yearold goalie has played eight games this season, going 32-3 with a 3.73 goal-against average. He hasn’t played since sustaining a groin injury Dec. 3 in Dallas.

Mavs’ Nowitzki reaches record DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki became the 23rd NBA player to score 23,000 career points, reaching the milestone with a free throw in the second quarter in the Mavericks’ game against Milwaukee on Friday night. Nowitzki, playing his 1,005th game, recently made his 8,000th field goal. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett are the only active players with more points than Nowitzki.

Pack fans line up to shovel GREEN BAY, Wis.— Green Bay Packers fans channeled their excitement for the first home playoff game in four years by shoveling out Lambeau Field on Friday morning for Sunday’s divisional playoff game against the New York Giants. A long line outside Lambeau formed by 4:30 a.m. and wound around the stadium grounds by the time shoveling began at 10 a.m.

Ali celebrates birthday in Ky. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dozens of guests gathered in Louisville on Saturday to celebrate Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday. As about 350 people mingled in a lobby of the Muhammad Ali Center in Ali’s hometown, he walked out to a secondfloor balcony overlooking them. The crowd chantd his name and then sang “Happy Birthday.” Among guests was University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari.

3B

Ex-Penn State coach addresses media ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ex-Penn State coach Joe Paterno gestures while being interviewed in his home. It was his first public comments since being fired two months ago. PH OTO BY JO HN MCD O NNEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — In his first interview since being fired by Penn State two months ago, Joe Paterno, the winningest coach in Division I football told The Washington Post he’s “shocked and saddened” by the scandal that enveloped the place where he spent more than six decades.

Yet the 85-year-old Paterno refused to bash the school or say a bad word about the man at the center of the turmoil.

Instead, Paterno said he “didn’t know which way to go” after an assistant coach came to him in 2002 saying

he had seen retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing a boy.

“I think we got to wait and see what happens,” Paterno said in an interview posted Saturday. “The courts are taking care of it, the legal system is taking care of it.”

Post reporter Sally Jenkins paints a portrait of a frail Paterno, hardly the robust character seen walking the sidelines for so many years.

Paterno told the Post that assistant Mike McQueary “didn’t want to get specific” about details in his allegation involving Sandusky, who

McQueary said was showering with a boy in the Penn State football facility.

Paterno said he was hesitant to make follow-up calls because he didn’t want to be seen as trying to exert influence either for or against Sandusky.

“I didn’t know which way to go ... And rather than get in there and make a mistake,” he told the Post before trailing off.

A day after he heard McQueary’s allegation, Paterno reported it to his superiors. Paterno said he previously had “no inkling” Sandusky might be a child molester.

Chicago . . . . . . . . .0 1 1 0— 2 Detroit . . . . . . . . . .2 0 0 1— 3 First Period—1, Detroit, Holmstrom 7 (W hite, Datsyuk), 12:56 (pp). 2, Detroit, Bertuzzi 7 (Datsyuk, W hite), 16:10.

Penalties—Kruger, Chi (hooking), 12:04.

Second Period—3, Chicago, Sha w 3 (Leddy), 14:54. Penalties—Ericsson, Det (hooking), 15:38.

Third Period—4, Chicago, J.Toe ws 23 (Hossa, Keith), 19:08. Penalties—Miller, Det, double minor (high-sticking), 6:28.

Overtime—5, Detroit, Bertuzzi 8 (V.Filppula, Lidstrom), 4:21. Penalties— None.

Shots on Goal—Chicago 4-7-16-0—27.

Detroit 21-8-5-9—43.

Po w er-play opportunities—Chicago 0 of 3; Detroit 1 of 1.

Goalies—Chicago, Cra w ford 16-10-4 (43 shots-40 saves). Detroit, Ho w ard 2610-1 (27-25).

A—20,066 (20,066). T—2:27.

Referees—Stephen Walkom, Don Van M assenhoven. Linesmen—Derek A mell, Steve Miller.

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L W 0 8 1 4 2 6 3 5 3 5 4 2

L 1 2 2 4 7 6

2 p.m. Women: Iowa at Purdue BIG TEN 2 p.m. Women: Temple at Dayton ESPN2 2:30 p.m. Women: Baylor at Texas FSD 3:30 p.m. Women: Miami at Florida State ESPNU 4 p.m. Women: Ohio State at Michigan State ESPN2 4 p.m. Minnesota at Penn State BIG TEN

FRIDAY’S SUMMARIES

Hartland 48, Milford 29 Milford . . . . . . . . . .6 5 8 10 — 29 Hartland . . . . . . . . .8 4 24 12 — 48 MILFORD — M arsh 0 0-2 0; Slaughter 3 3-4 9; Kurtz 3 5-5 11; Krieger 0 1-2 1; A ndrews 1 0-0 2; Smith 1 0-0 2; Ritten 1 0-2 2; Gustafson 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 9-15 29.

H ARTLA ND — Crouse 0 2-2 2; M aggert 2 8-9 13; Pajot 4 0-0 8; Porta 0 3-4 3; Jackson 1 0-0 2; Wachsmuth 4 0-0 9; Soave 1 0-0 2; Slavin 4 1-1 9. Totals 16 14-16 48 Three-pointers — M aggert (H) Wachsmuth (H), Total fouls — Milford 18, Hartland 17. Fouled out — None.

Grand Blanc 39, Pinckney 28 Grand Blanc . . . . . .8 9 10 12 — 39 Pinckney . . . . . . . .14 1 7 6 — 28 GRA ND BLA NC — Garner 0 2-2 2; Freund 1 5-7 7; Courts 0 1-2 1; Rayyan 1 2-2 4; Gurley 1 1-2 3; Danicolo 2 1-2 5; Puiddkas 3 7-14 13; Hines 0 2-2 2 Carson 1 0-0 2.. Totals 9 21-33 39.

PINCKNEY — A dams 3 1-3 8; Weiland 1 1-2 3; Steinaw ay 0 2-2 2; Smith 5 2-6 12; Salisbury 0 3-6 3. Totals 9 9-19 28.

Three-pointers — A dams (P). Total fouls — Pinckney 21, Grand Blanc 19.

Fouled out — McClafferty (P).

DeWitt 67, Fowlerville 40 DeWitt . . . . . . . . .17 21 14 15 — 67 Fowlerville . . . . . . .8 10 6 16 — 40 DEWITT — Reed 2 1-1 5; Hanses 4 0-0 9; Goodenough 1 1-2 3; Stoll 6 2-2 14; Skorich 0 4-4 4; Stripling 1 0-0 2; Hogg 3 0-2 6; Knauf 1 0-0 2; Banaszak 4 3-8 11; Kendrick 1 1-2 3; Schmidt 3 2-4 8. Total 26 14-25 67.

FO WLERVILLE — Williams 0 1-2 1; Buell 1 2-4 5; Callahan 2 0-0 5; Christoson 3 12 7; Hammond 4 5-8 14; Allen 1 6-10 8.

Totals 11 15-26 40.

Three-pointers — Hanses (D), Buell (F), Callahan (F), Hammond (F). Total fouls — De Witt 19, Fo wlerville 16. Fouled out — None.

Charyl Stockwell Prep Academy 30, LIvingston Christian 14 CSPA . . . . . . . . . . .10 2 12 6 — 30 Livingston Christian5 0 4 5 — 14 CSPA — Zahler 1 0-0 2; DeLorenzo 4 00 8; Green 2 1-2 5; O’Doherty 5 1-4 11; M arshall 1 2-4 4. Totals 13 4-10 30.

LIVINGSTO N CHRISTIA N — Panning 1 0-0 2; Lamsent 4 2-4 10; Johnson 1 0-0 2.

Totals 6 2-4 14.

Three-pointers — None. Total fouls — CSPA 7, LCA 7. Fouled out — None.

BOYS BASKETBALL KLAA West W Milford ................................3 Grand Blanc ........................2 Pinckney ..............................2 Ho w ell .................................2 Brighton ..............................0 Hartland ..............................0 Friday’s Games Grand Blanc 73, Pinckney 61 Ho w ell 49, Brighton 36 Milford 33, Hartland 30 CAAC Red W De Witt .................................4 St. Johns ..............................4 Haslett .................................3 O w osso ................................1 Fo wlerville ...........................1 Ionia .....................................0 Friday’s Games De Witt 66, Fo wlerville 57 Haslett 54, O w osso 50 St. Johns 60, Ionia 37

FRIDAY’S SUMMARIES

L W 0 8 1 4 1 5 1 4 3 2 3 0

L 0 2 3 3 6 6

4:30 p.m. Indiana at Ohio State G • 6 p.m. Duke at Clemson ESPNU

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL 2 p.m. Friends’ Central vs. St, Mark’s ESPNU 4 p.m. Brewster Academy vs. Tilton School ESPN

PRO BASKETBALL

6 p.m. Golden State at Detroit FSD

FOOTBALL

1 p.m. Houston at Baltimore G •

L 2 2 2 4 6 6

Howell 49, Brighton 36 Brighton . . . . . . . . .9 11 4 12 — 36 Howell . . . . . . . . . .8 17 15 9 — 49 BRIGHTO N — Bennett 0 0-0 0, Pokorski 4 0-0 10, Bro w ning 1 1-2 4, Buschman 0 0-0 0, Dunatchik 0 0-0 0, Hessling 2 0-1 6, Beck 0 0-0 0, Largin 3 1-1 8, Kamal 0 0-0 0, Jones 3 0-2 8, Pierce 0 0-0 0, Counts 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 2-6 36.

H O WELL — Baltazar 0 1-3 1, Nazione 7 2-4 16, Johnson 4 0-3 11, St. Bennett 1 00 3, Sp. Bennett 2 0-0 4, Lys 1 0-0 3, Cender 0 0-0 0, Douglas 1 0-0 2, Alexander 0 2-2 2, Petrovic 3 1-1 7.

Totals: 19 6-13 49.

Three-pointers — Johnson 3 (H), Pokorski 2 (B), Hessling 2 (B), Jones 2 (B), Bro w ning (B), Largin (B), St. Bennett (H), Lys (H). Total fouls — Ho w ell 17, Brighton 12. Fouled out — none.

Grand Blanc 73, Pinckney 61 Pinckney . . . . . . .28 16 6 11 — 61 Grand Blanc . . . . .21 11 18 23 — 73 PINCKNEY — Bona 3 0-0 6; C.Stephens 3 1-2 7; Slotnick 2 0-0 4; Sanderson 1 0-0 2; Tarske1 0-0 2; D.Stephens 6 3-4 17; Waltersdorf 1 0-0 2; Barry 9 3-4 21; Totals 26 7-11 61.

GRA ND BLA NC — Williams 9 0-2 25; Daniels 5 4-6 19; M argaritis 4 2-3 11; Grayer 1 0-0 3; Bracett 2 2-2 6; Turner 0 2-2 2; Nichols 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 11-18 73 Three-pointers — D.Stephens 2 (P), Williams 7 (GB), Daniels 5 (GB), M argaritis (GB) Grayer (GB). Total fouls — Grand Blanc 17, Pinckney 17. Fouled out — Bona (P).

DeWitt 66, Fowlerville 57 DeWitt . . . . . . . . .15 19 15 17 — 66 Fowlerville . . . . .16 15 19 7 — 57 DEWITT — Iacobellis 8 8-9 26; A nderson 6 2-2 17; Rusnell 2 2-2 7; Walker 2 2-6 6; Zamaria 2 1-2 5; Bennett 1 1-2 3; W hitney 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 16-23 66.

FO WLERVILLE — Gorshe 6 0-0 12; Harmon 4 2-2 12; Ackerman 4 1-1 11; Collins 2 1-2 7; Kassab 2 0-0 6; Ross 2 0-0 4; Wisuri 0 3-6 3; Brigham 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 7-11 57.

Three-pointers — A nderson 2 (D), Iacobellis 2 (D), Rusnell (D)m, Ackerman 2 (F), Collins 2 (F), Harmon 2 (F), Kassab (F). Total Fouls — Fo wlerville19, De Witt 13. Fouled out — Gorshe (F).

Livingston Christian 61, CSPA 45 CSPA . . . . . . . . . . . .4 12 8 21 — 45 Livingston Christian15 3 15 28 — 61 CSPA — Krupansky 2 0-0 4; M arshall 3 2-2 9; Simonds 2 0-0 6; Verbeke 1 0-0 2; DeLorenzo 2 0-0 4; Bolem 5 5-10 15; Benjamin 1 1-1 3; Gilbert 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 8-13 45.

LIVINGSTO N CHRISTIA N — Wenger 4 11-18 19; Hollingsw orth 2 4-7 8; Jusino 2 3-4 8; M artin 2 5-6 9; Milano wski 4 0-0 9; Zolinski 3 0-0 6; Bindon 1 0-2 2. Totals 18 23-37 61.

CBS

4:30 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Green Bay C p

GOLF

7 p.m. Sony Open, Final Round

FOX

GOLF

5 p.m. Michigan vs. Ohio State FSD PLUS

HOCKEY

7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Montreal NBCSP

SOCCER

11 a.m. Swansea City vs. Arsenal FSC

TENNIS

6:30 p.m. Australia Open, First Round ESPN2

HOCKEY

KLAA West W L TOT W L TOT Ho w ell . . . . . . . . .7 1 1 0 9 3 2 0 Grand Blanc . . . . .4 1 2 1 6 3 2 1 Pinckney . . . . . . . .3 3 2 0 4 8 2 0 Hartland . . . . . . . .3 1 1 0 6 6 1 0 Milford . . . . . . . . .2 3 0 0 9 5 0 0 WL Western . . . . .1 6 0 0 3 9 1 0 Thursday’s Game Detroit Country Day 3, Hartland 2 Friday’s Game Walled Lake Northern at Milford, 7 p.m.

Saturday’s Games A nn Arbor Pioneer 7, Pinckney 3 Grand Blanc 7, Waterford Kettering 1 Birmingham 5, Hartland 4 Walled Lake Northern 3, Ho w ell 0 Ann Arbor Pioneer 7, Pinckney 3 AA Pioneer . . . . . .1 4 2 — 7 Pinckney . . . . . . . .1 1 1 — 3 First period — 1. Pinckney, Lotz (Hall), 16:50. 2. A A Pioneer, Pokorney (Setchiet, Peck), 7:07.

Second period — 3. A A Pioneer, Rudberg (Caryl, M arr), (pp), 16:34. 4. A A Pioneer, Caryl (M arr, Domino) (pp), 15:58. 5. Pinckney, Jenkins (Lefebvre, Gary), 3:24. 6. A A Pioneer, Bondy (Bradburn, Domino),1:25. 7. A A Pioneer, M arr (Pokorney, Domino), :56.

Third period — 8. Pinckney, O kuro wski (Janiga, Bona), 10:35. 9. A A Pioneer, Pokorney (Caryl, M arr). 9:43. 10. A A Pioneer, Porkorney (Domino, M arr) (pp), 5:54 Shots on goal — Pinckney 40, A nn Arbor Pioneer 21.

Goalie — Pinckney, Karamon, Dolan (17:00 third); A nn Arbor Pioneer, Peck.

KLAA Central W L TOT W L TOT Brighton . . . . . . . .6 1 1 0 9 2 2 0 Livonia Stevenson 5 3 0 0 9 4 0 0 Novi . . . . . . . . . . .3 3 1 0 6 4 1 0 Northville . . . . . . .3 3 1 0 10 4 1 0 South Lyon . . . . . .3 4 0 0 9 5 1 0 Thursday’s Game South Lyon 4, Lake Orion 0 Friday’s Game Traverse City Central 4, Livonia Stevenson 1 Northville 4, Livonia Franklin 1 Saturday’s Game Sagina w Heritage at South Lyon, (n).

Livonia Stevenson at Traverse City West, (n)

NFL

SATURDAY’S SUMMARY

49ers 36, Saints 32 New Orleans . . . . .0 14 0 18 — 32 San Francisco . . . .14 3 3 16 — 36 First Quarter SF—V.Davis 49 pass from Ale.Smith (A kers kick), 2:08.

SF—Crabtree 4 pass from Ale.Smith (A kers kick), :41.

Second Quarter SF—FG A kers 25, 14:12.

N O—Graham 14 pass from Brees (Kasay kick), 9:32.

N O—Colston 25 pass from Brees (Kasay kick), 4:09.

Third Quarter SF—FG A kers 41, 10:36.

Fourth Quarter N O—FG Kasay 48, 13:08.

SF—FG A kers 37, 7:36.

N O—Sproles 44 pass from Brees (Kasay kick), 4:02.

SF—Ale.Smith 28 run (run failed), 2:11.

N O—Graham 66 pass from Brees (Sproles pass from Brees), 1:37.

SF—V.Davis 14 pass from Ale.Smith (A kers kick), :09.

A—69,732.

First do w ns Total Net Yards Rushes-yards Passing Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Interceptions Ret. Comp-A tt-Int

NO 26 472 14-37 435 3-29 5-59 0-0 40-63-2

SF 17 407 22-143 264 3-29 2-45 2-41 24-42-0

W L Pct GB . . . . . . . . .9 3 .750 — . . . . . . . . .6 5 .545 2 1/2 . . . . . . . . .4 6 .400 4 . . . . . . . . .4 8 .333 5 . . . . . . . . .3 9 .250 6 Division W L Pct GB Orlando . . . . . . . . . . . .8 3 .727 — A tlanta . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 4 .692 — Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 4 .667 1/2 Charlotte . . . . . . . . . . .2 10 .167 6 1/2 Washington . . . . . . . . .1 11 .083 7 1/2 Central Division W L Pct GB Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . .11 2 .846 — Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 3 .727 2 Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . .5 6 .455 5 Milw aukee . . . . . . . . . .4 7 .364 6 Detroit . . . . . . . . . . .3 9.250 7 1/2 Philadelphia Ne w York . .

Boston . . . .

Toronto . . . .

Ne w Jersey .

Southeast

WESTERN CONFERENCE

COLLEGE HOCKEY

Three-pointers — M arshall (CS), Simonds 2 (CS), Jusino (LC), Milano wski (LC). Total fouls — CSPA 21, Livingston Christian 17. Fouled out — Benjamin (CS), M arshall (CS), Milano wski (LC), Zolinski (LC).

NBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

6 p.m. Nebraska at Wisconsin BIG TEN

SATURDAY’S SUMMARY

L W 0 5 0 5 1 4 3 6 3 1 4 0

CBS

Sacked-Yards Lost 3-27 4-35 Punts 5-45.4 8-49.5 Fumbles-Lost 3-3 3-1 Penalties-Yards 0-0 3-33 Time of Possession 31:20 28:40 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Ne w Orleans, Ivory 9-23, P.Thomas 1-6, Brees 1-5, Sproles 3-3. San Francisco, Gore 13-89, Ale.Smith 1-28, Hunter 6-23, Ginn Jr. 1-3, Dixon 1-0.

PASSING—Ne w Orleans, Brees 40-63-2462. San Francisco, Ale.Smith 24-42-0299. RECEIVING—Ne w Orleans, Sproles 15-119, Colston 9-136, Graham 5-103, Henderson 4-49, M eachem 3-18, Arrington 1-14, Higgins 1-10, Collins 1-8, P.Thomas 1-5. San Francisco, V.Davis 7180, Gore 7-38, Crabtree 4-25, K.Williams 2-12, Miller 1-16, Hunter 113, Ginn Jr. 1-11, Peelle 1-4.

MISSED FIELD G O ALS—None.

NHL

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W LOT N.Y. Rangers . . .42 28 10 4 Philadelphia . . .42 26 12 4 Ne w Jersey . . . .44 25 17 2 Pittsburgh . . . . .43 22 17 4 N.Y. Islanders . . .42 16 20 6 Northeast Division GP W LOT Boston . . . . . . . .41 28 12 1 O tta w a . . . . . . .46 25 15 6 Toronto . . . . . . .44 22 17 5 Buffalo . . . . . . .44 19 20 5 M ontreal . . . . . .44 16 20 8 Southeast Division GP W LOT Florida . . . . . . . .43 21 14 8 Washington . . .42 23 17 2 Winnipeg . . . . .44 20 19 5 Carolina . . . . . . .46 16 23 7 Tampa Bay . . . . .43 17 22 4

Pts GF GA 60 121 86 56 142 124 52 121 125 48 128 113 38 102 131 Pts GF GA 57 150 81 56 146 146 49 137 137 43 112 129 40 112 122 Pts GF GA 50 110 120 48 123 123 45 113 128 39 122 152 38 118 150

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W LOT Pts GF GA Chicago . . . . . . .45 26 13 6 58 146 130 Detroit . . . . . .44 28 15 1 57141103 St. Louis . . . . . . .43 25 12 6 56 112 92 Nashville . . . . . .43 24 15 4 52 118 117 Columbus . . . . .44 12 27 5 29 106 147 Northwest Division GP W LOT Pts GF GA Vancouver . . . . .45 28 14 3 59 147 110 Minnesota . . . . .44 22 16 6 50 103 110 Colorado . . . . . .46 24 20 2 50 119 128 Calgary . . . . . . .45 21 19 5 47 110 127 Edmonton . . . . .43 16 23 4 36 112 126 Pacific Division GP W LOT Pts GF GA San Jose . . . . . . .41 25 11 5 55 120 95 Los A ngeles . . . .44 21 15 8 50 97 100 Dallas . . . . . . . . .43 24 18 1 49 120 125 Phoenix . . . . . . .45 20 18 7 47 114 118 A naheim . . . . . .43 14 22 7 35 109 136 N OTE: Tw o points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Friday’s Games Washington 4, Tampa Bay 3 Columbus 4, Phoenix 3 Buffalo 3, Toronto 2 Pittsburgh 4, Florida 1 A naheim 5, Edmonton 0 Saturday’s Games O tta w a 3, M ontreal 2, SO Detroit 3, Chicago 2, OT Colorado 2, Dallas 1 Ne w Jersey 2, Winnipeg 1 N.Y. Rangers 3, Toronto 0 N.Y. Islanders 4, Buffalo 2 Carolina 4, Boston 2 San Jose 2, Columbus 1 Minnesota at St. Louis, (n) Philadelphia at Nashville, (n) Los A ngeles at Calgary, (n) Today’s Games Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Carolina at Washington, 5 p.m.

N.Y. Rangers at M ontreal, 7 p.m.

San Jose at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Los A ngeles at Edmonton, 8 p.m.

A naheim at Vancouver, 9 p.m.

Monday’s Games Nashville at N.Y. Islanders, 1 p.m.

Colorado at Phoenix, 4 p.m.

Winnipeg at O tta w a, 7:30 p.m.

Boston at Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Buffalo at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at St. Louis, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SUMMARY Red Wings 3, Blackhawks

Southwest Division W L Pct GB San A ntonio . . . . . . . . .8 4 .667 — Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 5 .583 1 M emphis . . . . . . . . . . . .4 6 .400 3 Houston . . . . . . . . . . . .4 7 .364 3 1/2 Ne w Orleans . . . . . . . . .3 8 .273 4 1/2 Northwest Division W L Pct GB O klahoma City . . . . . .10 2 .833 — Denver . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 4 .667 2 Portland . . . . . . . . . . . .7 4 .636 2 1/2 Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 4 .600 3 Minnesota . . . . . . . . . .4 8 .333 6 Pacific Division W L Pct GB L.A. Lakers . . . . . . . . . .9 4 .692 — L.A. Clippers . . . . . . . . .5 3 .625 1 1/2 Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 7 .364 4 Sacramento . . . . . . . . .4 8 .333 4 1/2 Golden State . . . . . . . .3 7 .300 4 1/2 Friday’s Games Detroit 98, Charlotte 81 Indiana 95, Toronto 90 Philadelphia 120, Washington 89 Houston 103, Sacramento 89 Minnesota 87, Ne w Orleans 80 Chicago 88, Boston 79 Dallas 102, Milw aukee 76 San A ntonio 99, Portland 83 Ne w Jersey 110, Phoenix 103 L.A. Lakers 97, Cleveland 92 Denver 117, Miami 104 Saturday’s Games A tlanta 93, Minnesota 91 Philadelphia 103, Washington 90 Golden State at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Boston at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Portland at Houston, 8 p.m.

Ne w York at O klahoma City, 8 p.m.

Ne w Orleans at M emphis, 8 p.m.

Ne w Jersey at Utah, 9 p.m.

Sacramento at Dallas, 9 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Today’s Games Golden State at Detroit, 6 p.m.

Utah at Denver, 8 p.m.

Phoenix at San A ntonio, 9 p.m.

Monday’s Games Chicago at M emphis, 1 p.m.

Orlando at Ne w York, 1 p.m.

Cleveland at Charlotte, 2 p.m.

Houston at Washington, 2 p.m.

Milw aukee at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.

Portland at Ne w Orleans, 3 p.m.

Ne w Jersey at L.A. Clippers, 3:30 p.m.

Toronto at A tlanta, 4 p.m.

Sacramento at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

O klahoma City at Boston, 8 p.m.

Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

FRIDAY’S SUMMARY Pistons 98, Bobcats 81 DETROIT (98) Prince 5-11 0-2 10, Jerebko 9-12 2-2 22, M onroe 9-20 1-2 19, Knight 5-11 1-1 13, Gordon 5-11 3-3 14, Stuckey 2-8 3-4 8, Wallace 1-2 0-0 2, Wilkins 3-4 0-0 7, Bynum 1-2 1-2 3, M acklin 0-0 0-0 0, Daye 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 40-82 11-16 98.

CHARLOTTE (81) Thomas 4-9 2-2 10, Dia w 1-2 1-2 3, M ullens 9-19 0-0 18, A ugustin 3-7 1-1 7, Henderson 2-8 2-2 6, Walker 6-8 3-4 16, W hite 4-9 2-2 10, Biyombo 0-3 0-0 0, Bro w n 2-4 0-0 4, Higgins 2-3 3-3 7, Carroll 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 33-74 14-16 81.

Detroit . . . . . . . . .27 24 27 20 — 98 Charlotte . . . . . . .23 16 20 22 — 81 3-Point Goals—Detroit 7-14 (Jerebko 23, Knight 2-4, Wilkins 1-1, Gordon 1-3, Stuckey 1-3), Charlotte 1-8 (Walker 1-2, Carroll 0-1, Dia w 0-1, A ugustin 0-4).

Fouled O ut—None. Rebounds—Detroit 53 (Knight 10), Charlotte 37 (Dia w, Thomas, M ullens 7). Assists—Detroit 26 (Gordon, M onroe 5), Charlotte 22 (A ugustin 13). Total Fouls—Detroit 17, Charlotte 15. Technicals—Gordon, Detroit defensive three second, Henderson. A—18,043 (19,077).

COLLEGE HOOPS BIG TEN CONFERENCE

Conference AllGames W L Pct. W L Pct. Michigan St. . . . . .4 1 .800 15 3 .833 Illinois . . . . . . . . . .4 1 .800 15 3 .833 Michigan . . . . . . .4 2 .500 14 4 .778 Indiana . . . . . . . . .3 2 .600 15 2 .882 O hio St. . . . . . . . .3 2 .600 15 3 .833 Purdue . . . . . . . . .3 2 .600 13 5 .722 Wisconsin . . . . . . .2 3 .400 13 5 .722 Io w a . . . . . . . . . . .2 3 .400 10 8 .556 North w estern . . .1 3 .250 11 5 .688 Minnesota . . . . . .1 4 .200 13 5 .722 Nebraska . . . . . . .1 4 .200 9 7 .563 Penn St. . . . . . . . .1 4 .200 9 9 .500

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE East

Conference AllGames W L Pct. W L Pct. . .2 01.000 10 6 .625 . .1 1 .500 13 3 .813 . .1 1 .500 11 4 .733 . .1 1 .500 7 5 .583 . .1 1 .500 7 8 .467 . .0 2 .000 4 10 .286

A kron . . . . . . . .

O hio . . . . . . . . .

Kent St. . . . . . .

Buffalo . . . . . . .

Bo wling Green Miami (O hio) . .

West Ball St. . . . . . . . .

Cent. Michigan .

W. Michigan . . .

E. Michigan . . . .

Toledo . . . . . . . .

N. Illinois . . . . . .

.2 .2 .1 .1 .0 .0

01.000 10 4 01.000 7 8 1 .500 7 9 1 .500 6 10 2 .000 8 8 2 .000 1 13

.714 .467 .438 .375 .500 .071

IOWA 75, No. 13 MICHIGAN 59 MICHIGAN (14-4) Smotrycz 0-6 0-0 0, M organ 1-1 2-4 4, Novak 5-10 0-0 14, Burke 7-13 3-3 19, Harda w ay Jr. 2-13 5-8 9, Douglass 3-6 12 9, Brundidge 0-0 0-0 0, A kunne 0-0 0-0 0, Vogrich 0-1 0-0 0, Bartelstein 0-0 0-0 0, McLimans 2-2 0-0 4, Christian 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-52 11-17 59.

IOWA (11-8) Basabe 3-5 1-3 7, McCabe 4-5 3-5 11, M ay 1-4 0-0 2, M arble 5-12 3-5 13, Gatens 5-10 5-5 19, O glesby 3-5 0-0 7, Brommer 0-1 0-0 0, Cart wright 2-6 0-0 4, W hite 2-6 8-10 12, Archie 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals 25-54 20-28 75.

Halftime—Io w a 33-23. 3-Point Goals— Michigan 8-31 (Novak 4-8, Douglass 2-3, Burke 2-7, Vogrich 0-1, Smotrycz 0-4, Harda w ay Jr. 0-8), Io w a 5-12 (Gatens 4-7, O glesby 1-2, M arble 0-1, Cart wright 0-1, M ay 0-1). Fouled O ut—None.

Rebounds—Michigan 30 (Novak 8), Io w a 39 (M ay, McCabe 7). Assists—Michigan 9 (Burke, Harda w ay Jr., Smotrycz 2), Io w a 18 (Cart wright 5). Total Fouls—Michigan 22, Io w a 17. A—12,366.

W. MICHIGAN 74, TOLEDO 52 TOLEDO (8-9) Holliday 3-6 0-1 7, Smith 1-6 1-2 4, Buckley 2-7 2-2 6, Pearson 6-15 3-7 15, Bro w n 7-13 2-3 17, M athe w 0-1 0-0 0, Dear 0-1 0-0 0, Dennis 1-6 1-2 3, Wonnell 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-56 9-17 52.

W. MICHIGAN (8-9) Hutcheson 2-4 0-0 5, W hitfield 8-11 3-4 19, Stainbrook 6-11 1-2 13, Ward 1-8 00 3, Douglas 3-5 2-2 8, Hoerdemann 3-4 0-0 9, Brennan 0-2 0-0 0, W hittington 01 0-0 0, Richie 4-10 1-2 10, Dean 0-2 1-2 1, Conteh 2-2 0-0 4, Loney 1-1 0-0 2.

Totals 30-61 8-12 74.

Halftime—W. Michigan 33-21. 3-Point Goals—Toledo 3-20 (Smith 1-3, Holliday 1-3, Bro w n 1-4, M athe w 0-1, Pearson 02, Dennis 0-3, Buckley 0-4), W. Michigan 6-19 (Hoerdemann 3-4, Hutcheson 1-2, Richie 1-5, Ward 1-7, Stainbrook 0-1).

Fouled O ut—None. Rebounds—Toledo 24 (Holliday 7), W. Michigan 48 (Stainbrook 11). Assists—Toledo 5 (Bro w n, M athe w 2), W. Michigan 18 (Ward 8). Total Fouls—Toledo 9, W. Michigan 19. A—2,538.

E. MICHIGAN 51, BALL ST. 48 E. MICHIGAN (7-10) Harris 3-8 0-3 6, Riley 2-4 0-0 4, Harper 3-5 2-2 9, Strickland 0-1 0-0 0, Lampley 2-3 0-0 4, Sims 0-1 2-2 2, Chandler 0-1 00 0, Green 4-8 0-0 11, Dailey 4-5 4-4 13, Balkema 1-4 0-0 2, Janton 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals 19-40 8-11 51.

BALL ST. (10-5) Bond 2-5 3-4 7, Koch 1-4 5-6 7, Jones 410 3-5 11, Davis 2-5 5-6 11, Robinson 311 1-2 7, Kamieniecki 1-1 0-4 2, Scaife 01 0-0 0, A deoye 0-0 0-0 0, Berry 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 14-42 17-27 48.

Halftime—Ball St. 27-21. 3-Point Goals—E. Michigan 5-9 (Green 3-5, Harper 1-1, Dailey 1-2, Chandler 0-1), Ball St. 3-16 (Davis 2-5, Berry 1-5, Scaife 0-1, Robinson 0-2, Koch 0-3). Fouled O ut—Riley. Rebounds—E. Michigan 28 (Harris 8), Ball St. 27 (Jones 11). Assists— E. Michigan 11 (Harper 4), Ball St. 10 (Robinson 4). Total Fouls—E. Michigan 19, Ball St. 14. A—4,050.

N. ILLINOIS 74, CENT. MICHIGAN 66 CENT. MICHIGAN (7-9) M baigoto 3-6 3-3 11, Harden 0-1 0-0 0, Zeigler 7-15 2-2 18, McBroom 5-12 2-2 15, Jackson 3-8 8-9 16, Barnes 1-1 0-0 2, Craddock 0-3 1-2 1, Coimbra 0-2 0-1 0, Keel 1-5 0-0 3, M orris 0-0 0-0 0, Saylor 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-54 16-19 66.

N. ILLINOIS (2-13) Toler 3-7 1-2 8, Kev. Gray 0-1 0-0 0, Berg 4-4 0-0 12, Nader 8-11 1-4 22, Bolin 2-5 9-13 13, Christian 1-4 1-2 4, Ford 3-3 1-1 8, Kei. Gray 1-2 3-4 5, Nixon 0-3 2-2 2, Storm 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-40 18-28 74.

Goals—Cent. Michigan 10-25 (M

TODAY IN SPORTS 1967 — The NFL’s Green Bay Packers win the first Super Bo wl, defeating the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs 35-10.

GLANTZ-CULVER

NFL PLAYOFFS

FAV ORITE OP TO O/U UNDERD O G at Baltimore 7 7.5 (36.5) Houston at Green Bay 9 7.5 (53) N.Y. Giants

NCAA BASKETBALL FAV ORITE at O hio St. Georgeto w n N. Io w a at Butler at Valparaiso at Missouri St. at Denver at M aryland Minnesota Duke at Wisconsin at Washington at Creighton Wichita St. at Drake UCLA at Niagara at Canisius at Iona

LINE UNDERD O G 12 Indiana 5.5 at St. John’s 9 at Bradley 8 Youngsto w n St. Pk Cleveland St. 9 Evansville 15 W. Kentucky 1.5 Georgia Tech 1.5 at Penn St. 9 at Clemson 16 Nebraska 10.5 Washington St. 15.5 S. Illinois 6 at Indiana St. 2 Illinois St. 1.5 at Southern Cal 6.5 M arist 2 St. Peter’s 13 Loyola (M d.)

FAV ORITE at Detroit at Denver at San A ntonio

LINE 3 10 10.5

NBA

NHL

FAV ORITE Pittsburgh at Wash N.Y. Rangers at Chicago at Edmonton at Vancouver

UNDERD O G Golden State Utah Phoenix

LINE UNDERD O G -125 at Tampa Bay -240 Carolina -130 at M ontreal -135 San Jose -110 Los A ngeles -230 A naheim

LINE +105 +200 +110 +115 -110 +190

TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL

American League K A NSAS CITY RO YALS — A greed to terms with 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff on a minor league contract.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association G OLDEN STATE W ARRIORS — Signed C Earl Barron.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League BOSTO N BRUINS — Reassigned F Yannick Riendeau from Reading (ECHL) to Providence (A HL).

COLU MBUS BLUE JACKETS — Claimed LW Colton Gillies off w aivers from Minnesota.

N ASHVILLE PRED ATORS — Recalled F Chris M ueller from Milw aukee (A HL).

Placed F Jerred Smithson on injured reserve, retroactive to Jan. 7.

PH OENIX CO Y OTES — Recalled D Chris Summers from Portland (A HL).

TA MPA BAY LIGHTNING — Reassigned D Charles Landry from Norfolk (A HL) to Florida (ECHL).

WINNIPEG JETS — Recalled D Paul Postma from St. John’s (A HL).

COLLEGE BUCKNELL — A nnounced the resignation of w omen’s basketball coach Kathy Fedorjaka. Promoted w omen’s assistant basketball coach Bill Broderick to interim head coach.

4B

D AILY PRESS & ARGUS-Sunday, January 15, 2012

Jerebko leads Pistons past Bobcats, 98-81 Forward scores 22 points

By Steve Reed ASSOCIATED PRESS

San Francisco’s Vernon Davis (85) runs from New Orleans’ Malcolm Jenkins (27) and Roman Harper (41) during Saturday’s playoff game. The 49ers won 36-32. PH OTO BY M ARCIO JOSE SA NCHEZ/AP

Stingy 49ers beat Saints San Francisco wins first playoff game in 9 years

By Janie McCauley ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO — What a way to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of “The Catch.”

Joe Montana to Dwight Clark then.

Alex Smith to Vernon Davis now.

Smith completed a 14yard touchdown pass to Davis with 9 seconds left just after Drew Brees had put the high-powered Saints ahead, and resurgent San Francisco capitalized on five New Orleans turnovers for a thrilling 3632 playoff victory Saturday.

“This is big for us,” Davis said. “It’s history. It’s legendary.”

Smith ran for a 28-yard TD with 2:11 left and threw another scoring pass to Davis in the first quarter.

Coach Jim Harbaugh’s NFC West champions (14-3) proved that a hard-hitting, stingy defense can still win in the modern, wide-open NFL by holding off one of league’s most dynamic offenses.

Brees completed a 66yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham with 1:37 left and the Saints seemed

poised to rally from a 17point deficit when Smith and Davis delivered once more.

San Francisco triumphed in its first playoff game in nine years and will move on to face the New York Giants or defending champion Green Bay Packers, who play Sunday. A win by the Giants would give the 49ers the home field.

Brees came up big down the stretch just as he did throughout a record-setting season, also hitting Darren Sproles for a 44-yard TD with 4:02 remaining — one of Sproles’ 15 catches for 119 yards.

The 49ers also showed that defense can still dominate in the days of big passers like Brees.

With Donte Whitner bringing the bruising hits and Dashon Goldson, Patrick Willis and their defensive mates pressuring Brees and forcing turnovers from every angle, surprising San Francisco is a win away from returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since capturing the proud franchise’s fifth championship after the 1994 season.

Brees, whose team was

coming off consecutive 600-yard games, completed 40 of 63 passes for 462 yards and four touchdowns and was sacked three times. He also threw two interceptions, his first in the postseason in five years, and New Orleans (14-4) fell short again in its quest to get back to the Super Bowl after winning it all two years ago. The Saints are still searching for the first postseason road victory in franchise history after falling to 0-5.

How far these 49ers have come since that 24-3 trouncing they took back in August at the Superdome in the teams’ exhibition opener. Now, Harbaugh’s “Who’s got it better than us? Nobody!” group is drawing comparisons to the good ol’ days of Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott and Steve Young. And of course, Dwight Clark, who came through with “The Catch” to beat Dallas in the NFC title game on Jan. 10, 1982.

All-Pro David Akers, the Niners’ most experienced playoff veteran whose 44 field goals set a single-season record, kicked three more when it mattered most — from 25, 41 and 37 yards.

The underdog 49ers made the big plays on both sides of the ball and on special teams.

They also had a towelwaving sellout crowd of 69,732 behind them at Candlestick Park on a beautiful sunny winter day in the Bay Area.

It was 62 degrees at kickoff.

Who Dat? It’s the Saints headed home to the Big Easy empty-handed.

A year ago, New Orleans came out West and suffered a stunning loss to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks in the NFC wild-card round.

The Saints had lost five fumbles all season, then gave three away Saturday against San Francisco’s opportunistic defense that pressured all day.

Harbaugh’s theme “don’t overcook it,” rang true as the 49ers relied on what got them here — perhaps the league’s best defense and special teams.

Brees drove the Saints close to the goal line on their opening drive but Pierre Thomas lost that fumble and was lost for the game to a head injury after being hit by Whitner. Two other turnovers came on special teams.

Pack brings offensive ‘fireworks’ But Green Bay has been remarkably vulnerable on defense

By Chris Jenkins ASSOCIATED PRESS

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Going into today’s NFC divisional playoff game against the New York Giants, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are best known for all the fireworks they’ve produced on offense.

That’s a good thing for the Super Bowl champions, because they’ve been remarkably vulnerable on defense.

All season, the Packers have been giving up yards in big chunks and bailing themselves out by forcing turnovers. And while the Giants might hope to slow the game down by establishing the run and keeping Rodgers on the sideline, the last meeting between the two teams — a 38-35 victory by the Packers on a lastsecond field goal Dec. 4 — could mean Sunday is shaping up as another fastpaced game that comes down to the last possession.

With Eli Manning and the offense on a role, the Giants like their chances this time around.

“I think if we get into a shootout like we did last time, I think we will be OK,” wide receiver Victor Cruz said. “But it will have to come down to who has the last touch.”

Meanwhile, the Packers’ defense is looking to hit the reset button in the playoffs.

“This is a fresh start for us to right all our wrongs,” defensive lineman Ryan Pickett said. “We’re excited about it. It’s the same group that did it last year, the same team, so we know it’s

The Packers’ Aaron Rodgers is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the game. He will need to continue to avoid interceptions with the weather turning bad for the divisional playoff game today against the Giants. PH OTO

BY M ORRY G ASH/AP FILE

NFC WATCH

• TODAY: Green Bay vs.

NY Giants

• WHEN: 4:30 p.m.

• TV: Fox (Ch. 2, 47) there to do it. You just have to do it. Time is running out.

This is one-and-done, so we have to get it done.”

Manning can draw on the Giants’ victory in a frigid NFC championship game at Lambeau Field four years ago, but he doesn’t think that experience is relevant.

“It’s a new year, a new team, new players going

against a new team,” Manning said. “It’s just a matter of guys executing, guys knowing the game plan, going in there, looking forward to the opportunity that’s ahead of us, getting excited about it and have the attitude that we’re going to go in there and play great football.”

They’ll likely have their chances.

Green Bay’s defense gave up more yards than any other team this season, an average of 411.6 per game. Packers coaches and players shrug off that statistic, pointing out that their ball-hawking defense has been able to come up with enough turnovers and stops in critical situations to help the team go 15-1.

What’s more troubling than the yards is the number of big plays. According to STATS LLC, the Packers gave up 80 plays of 20-plus yards this season — thirdmost in the league this season, and 26 more big plays than they gave up last season.

The Packers have been better in the second half of the season, giving up 25 big plays in the past eight games, according to STATS. They’re certain to be tested by Manning, a talented group of wide receivers and a running game that finally seems to be playing up to its potential.

“One thing about Eli, he’s having I think his best year,” Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. “The guy’s been very accurate throwing the deep ball.”

Capers said Manning has

improved considerably when it comes to throwing on the move.

“Eli doesn’t move to run, but he moves to buy time for those receivers,” Capers said. “They do a good job of adjusting their routes. I’ve seen him move — he moves more to his right than he does his left — but he can move and still throw the ball with some accuracy. I think he’s doing a better job with that.”

To Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji, the biggest difference in Manning’s game is that he’s throwing fewer interceptions.

“He’s always been able to make every throw,” Raji said. “Just when he’s choosing to make those throws, I think he’s doing a fantastic job.”

And for all their faults, the Packers defense has lived off interceptions this year, picking off an NFL-best 31 passes this season.

“In their secondary at least, they like to gamble a lot, they like to take a lot of chances and risks,” Cruz said. “Which means they either win or they lose big, which explains why they lead the league in interceptions and why they lead the league in giving up big plays, they are tops in the league in giving up big plays. So we understand that and we’ve seen it on film.”

Manning threw 16 interceptions this season after throwing 25 in 2010, and will be especially mindful of avoiding turnovers against the Packers.

“They try to make some big plays so they give up a few plays,” Manning said.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Detroit Pistons got back in the win column Friday night, while the Charlotte Bobcats got a talking to from owner Michael Jordan.

Jonas Jerebko tied a career high with 22 points and the Pistons won the race to three victories Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats, 98-81 to snap a six-game losing streak.

Both teams entered the game with identical 2-9 records and on lengthy losing streaks.

The Pistons got strong inside play from Jerebko and Greg Monroe, who chipped in with 19 points and nine rebounds. They dominated inside, scoring 50 points in the paint through the first three quarters to open a 78-59 lead.

This one wasn’t even close as the Pistons led by 12 at the break and were never challenged in the second half.

Jerebko, from Sweden, tied his previous career high from back in 2009.

“I was trying to take it to the basket and get a couple of easy ones that way instead of just shooting jump shots,” said Jerebko, who also had nine rebounds. “I got a couple of easy ones, layups and then the jump shots came after that. We had some glimpses against Milwaukee and tonight I think we had a complete game instead of just half a game and I think it showed on the court.”

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank wouldn’t say it was his team’s best performance of the season, but called it a step forward.

“There are a couple of different outcomes that happens in a game,” he said. “You lose, and you play the right way. You win and play the right way. You lose and don’t play the right way, and you win and don’t play the right way. I thought we won and we played the right way, with purpose.”

The Pistons got numerous uncontested shots in the middle and made the most of them. When Jerebko and Monroe weren’t ripping up the Charlotte interior defense with some nifty passing, Ben Gordon and Brandon Knight were hitting from the outside.

All five starters finished in double digits for the Pistons, including Gordon with 14 points and Knight,

Pistons’ Jonas Jerebko blocks a shot by Charlotte Bobcats’ D.J. White during Friday’s game. The Pistons won 98-81. PH OTO BY CHUCK BURTO N/ASSOCIATED PRESS

PISTONS WATCH

• FRIDAY: Detroit 98, Charlotte 81

• TODAY: Vs. Golden State Warriors, 6 p.m.

• TV: FSD who added 13 points and had 10 rebounds.

“My teammates attacked the gap of the zone that created opportunities for me and I was able to knock them down,” Knight said.

“Players like (Damien) Wilkins and (Rodney) Stuckey that created certain opportunities for me, those shots wouldn’t have gone in or I wouldn’t have been able to take them.”

The Bobcats have lost six straight, prompting Jordan to meet with his players in a closed-door session inside the locker room for about five minutes after the game.

“He just came in the locker room and said we have to play better than that,” said Bobcats forward Boris Diaw, who has been held to a combined three points in his last two games. “(He said) that Detroit is not a team that’s better than us, and tonight they did play better than us. We have to find a way to win.”

That’s easier said than done for a Bobcats team light on talent and heavy on youth.

Coach Paul Silas was again critical of his players’ toughness after getting outrebounded 46-34.

“Well, I saw a team that dominated us inside,” Silas said. “Points in the paint, like 52, I think, to 36. That’s kind of the game right there. We’ve got to have more toughness and we didn’t tonight. It’s just not a good sign for us.”

Bertuzzi scores to lift Wings, 3-2 Continued from page 1

and Nashville by five — and had a chance to end it in third place behind the Blues and Red Wings until they extended the nationally televised matchup.

The Red Wings looked as if they might roll toward an easy victory when Pavel Datsyuk assisted on two goals — scored by Tomas Holmstrom and Bertuzzi — and outshot Chicago 21-4 in the first period.

Corey Crawford had to make 40 saves to give the Blackhawks a shot to win.

After pulling Crawford for an extra skater, Chicago called timeout and scored the tying goal following a faceoff in the Detroit end.

Calgary is the last team to beat Detroit at Joe Louis Arena, winning 4-1 on Nov. 3.

The Blackhawks have won just three of their last nine games.

Holmstrom, who hadn’t scored in his last eight games, put the Red Wings ahead midway through the first period.

Detroit’s Jiri Hudler scrambles for the puck in front of Chicago’s net on Saturday. The Wings won 3-2. PH OTO BY CARLOS OSORIO/ASSOCIATED PRESS

He was standing in front of the net and redirected a shot from Ian White on the game’s first power play.

Bertuzzi scored his first goal on a breakaway off an up-the-middle pass from Datsyuk, who will represent the Red Wings along with Howard at the All-Star game in two weeks.

Su n day, Jan uary 15, 2012-D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

5B

‘We’re trying not to miss a beat’ After tumultuous week, Howell players back on ice, thinking of ex-coach

By Tim Robinson D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

It started as what coaches and players thought was a bit of fun, a way for first-year players to entertain their peers, coaches and parents on a trip to Marquette.

A week after the Jan. 5 “runway walk” at Flanigan’s Bar, located across the street from the Howell team’s hotel in Marquette, the coaching staff had been fired.

The team was placed in limbo amidst support from players, alumni and parents for ex-coach Randy Montrose, and other emails and phone calls supporting Howell Public Schools superintendent Ron Wilson’s decision to fire the coaches.

“We had no idea anything would happen,” co-captain Collin Myers said on Friday night.

“We’ve been doing it for years, and I never thought anything would come out of it.”

“It was nothing out of the ordinary of having fun,” senior Andrew Brownlee said. “I was part of it last year (as a first-year player). You’re a kid once, and

Andrew Brownlee and his teammates were stunned by the series of events that led to the ouster of former coach Randy Montrose last week. FILE PH OTO can only be a kid once.”

Senior Travis Wever was one of the participants.

“No one was anxious or scared to do it,” he said. “We were looking forward to it. We thought it would be funny for the players, parents and coach. We just danced. Nothing vulgar, nothing bad, in our opinion.”

The players dressed in a room at the hotel in women’s swim suits

or lingerie, then walked across the street to Flanigans, a bar across the street from the hotel.

“Randy was already there,” Wever said. “Coach Passino walked over with us.”

On Tuesday, Howell Public Schools superintendent Ron Wilson received an anonymous phone call about the activity, then was sent photos via text showing players in the garments.

The team played Grand Blanc that night to a 2-2 tie, the last time the players would be on the ice for Montrose and his coaching staff.

Earlier Wednesday, Montrose had met with school officials, who were discussing a possible suspension. Later that day, he informed the team.

“On Wednesday, we went in for our meetings on our progress reports,” Wever said. “Randy waited for us to get back and gave us the news.”

Practice was canceled on Wednesday as the investigation

by Howell school officials continued. A little after noon on Thursday, players began to learn

that their coaches would not be coming back.

“We were stunned,” Wever said. “No one saw it coming. We thought it was ridiculous.”

Some left school early and went to the team’s locker room at Grand Oaks Ice Arena, where players eventually put on their black Howell jerseys and went back to the high school for a meeting with Howell High School principal Aaron Moran and athletic director Dan Hutcheson.

Afterward, the team went back to the arena,and skated,browl with captains running drills.

“The captains were trying to make it as normal as possible,” Wever said.

“It was OK,” Myers said. “We were all bummed out about not having coaches.”

Darrin Schmitz, a Howell standout in the mid-1980s, is the new coach, and he is keenly aware of his players’ loyalty to Montrose.

The trip up north, like at other schools, is justified in part for its value as a team-building experience. But no other school’s U.P.

trips have led to this kind of result.

Asked if his team’s trials this week were a team-building experience in itself, Brownlee said, “Yeah, I agree with that. “In the end, we’ll find out who the strong ones are and who weak ones are.

The strong ones need to come together and bring weak ones back to the top.”

The Highlanders are in first place in the KLAA West this season and have a comfortable lead across the division.

But after trips to the state finals in 2009 and 2010 and a loss to eventual champ Novi in the regional final last year, the Highlanders had high hopes for this season.

“We’re trying not to miss a beat here,” Wever said. “There’s heartbreak and confusion and sadness and no one wants this to be true.

But we have to buckle down and not let everything (Montrose) did go to waste. We’ll take it day by day. We have to do it for us and for our former coaching staff and make sure we stay focused on the task.”

Schmitz takes over as Howell coach Continued from page 1

who was hired from the team’s JV travel hockey squad on Friday, will be paid.

Schmitz’s son, Beau, is a defenseman for the Plymouth Whalers. His nephews, Chad and Brad Rutzel, both played hockey at Howell.

Schmitz met the team Friday, then conducted a short practice.

“I talked to the boys and made sure we were all on the same page,” he said.

“We need to move forward.

We had a good meeting. I could see they were still upset. Randy brought them up in this program. He was a good friend to them and (Howell Public Schools) took him away.”

“Darrin told us he’s one of Randy’s guys,” senior Travis Wever said. “We support Darrin. He’s a Howell guy.”

Schmitz was an all-state selection during his senior season in 1984-85, scoring 49 goals and adding 37 assists for the Highlanders.

He is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame in the fieldhouse.

In recent years, he had coached a AAA travel team for Compuware, but had ended his coaching career when Beau Schmitz began playing for the Whalers. He admitted in a Friday conversation that taking over the team comes at a price.

“I’m in a no-win situation,” said Schmitz, who is an electrician by trade. “By taking the job, I’m giving up a lot of (overtime) at work and a lot of time watching my son.”

Schmitz said he had spo-

Darrin Schmitz, named as interim Howell hockey coach on Friday, was a standout player for the Highlanders during the mid-1980s. His plaque hangs at the Howell Hall of Fame inside the school’s fieldhouse. PH OTO BY TIM ROBINSO N/D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

ken with Montrose on Friday.

“He doesn’t have hard feelings,” Schmitz said.

Asked if he saw himself as a caretaker, Schmitz demurred.

“I’m not going to change everything the guys have learned,” he said.

“Hopefully I can guide

them on the right path to what everyone wants and to win everything. I want to do the best I can do to do that for him. There’s only six weeks left in the season, and credit has to go where it’s deserved. It goes to the kids and the guy who had the program as long as he did and made it what it

was.”

Schmitz says it’s important for him to tread carefully.

“It’s a different situation than a tryout basis,” he said. “This isn’t the situation you planned on when take a coaching job. I don’t want to jump in with both feet and take charge.

“You’ve got to ease your way into it and try to gain trust from 15- and 16-yearold kids. They trusted another guy for so long and you’ve got to gain that from them.”

Players reached Friday night were emphatic in their support for Montrose and his coaching staff.

“It’s going to be really awkward not having (Montrose) on the bench,” co-captain Collin Myers said. “It’s going to be weird but we’re ready for it.”

“He’s the interim coach,” senior Andrew Brownlee said, referring to Schmitz.

“It was something that needed to be done to continue the season for the only coach we all love in Randy.”

The hiring of Schmitz ended the suspension of team activities that came with Montrose’s firing on Thursday.

“I think it was very important to keep that game scheduled,” he said of Saturday’s contest with Walled Lake Northern at Lakeland Arena.

In the meantime, Schmitz spent several hours in the Howell locker room on Friday.

“I sat in the locker room (after practice) going over names,” he said. “Trying to learn names and where they play and to try to do the best I can.”

‘Huge liability issue’ led to firing Continued from page 1

of the Howell coaches had been on the trip, all of them were let go.

Montrose said Friday that he had been forced to resign Thursday and had emailed a letter to the district that day.

But Wilson said that, since Montrose was employed as coach by PESG, and not the school district, a resignation letter to the district was moot.

Montrose also said that he had never spoken with Wilson, as a Thursday story in the Daily Press & Argus had reported, something Wilson confirmed on Saturday.

A quote attributed to Wilson asking the coaches why the players’ wearing of women’s undergarments in Marquette was acceptable while doing the same thing in Howell would not was asked by Howell athletic director Dan Hutcheson of at least two of the coaches, Wilson said.

Hutcheson and Howell principal Aaron Moran, who conducted the investigation, have not commented on the situation. Messages left with Hutcheson were not returned and Moran’s secretary referred all comments to Wilson on Thursday.

This, Wilson said, was done in part to protect the school district.

“This is a huge liability issue for us,” he said. “We don’t want to make any missteps or say anything that will put us in litigation.”

Phone and text messages sent to Montrose Saturday seeking comment were not returned.

The hazing policy that was cited earlier by school district officials does not

“The district’s made some hard decisions in the past and this is another of them. I’m not happy with the way it was handled, but I respect it. It’s a hell of a way to go out. I thought I would be treated a little differently, but it happens.

It’s over. They need to move on, and so do I.” RANDY MONTROSE, on his firing as Ho w ell hockey coach

discuss penalties for hazing.

But a clause under “harassment” in the Howell Public Schools student-parent handbook does includes penalties.

It reads: “If the investigation finds harassment occurred it will result in prompt and appropriate remedial action. This may include disciplinary action up to expulsion for students, up to discharge for employees, (and) exclusion for parents, guests, volunteers and contractors.”

On Friday, Montrose and Howell players interviewed were not asked about the alcohol allegations but did discuss what Montrose had called a “runway show” on Thursday.

“It was something they did for fun,” he

said. “They were joking about it. I never wanted to offend anyone. It’s unfortunate that kids can’t be kids any more.”

Montrose said Friday he had planned to “retire” as coach at the end of the season.

“With my being there 10 years, the thing that hurts the most is that we didn’t do anything to jeopardize the kids,” he said. “If I did, or a parent did, I would have walked away without a word, because I’m not the right guy for the job.

“We didn’t do anything to hurt a kid at all. Ever,” he said. “I’d die for the kids. I think they should have talked to the kids and parents first. In their defense, they have to err on the side of caution.

“But,” he added, “it’s done and I respect their decision. The district’s made some hard decisions in the past and this is another of them. I’m not happy with the way it was handled, but I respect it. It’s a hell of a way to go out.

I thought I would be treated a little differently, but it happens. It’s over. They need to move on, and so do I.” But, Wilson said, it may not be over yet.

“This has been referred to the local authorities in Howell,” the superintendent said. “They were going to review it and look at the jurisdiction and see if the Michigan State Police need to be brought in. This may not be over, but we just want to limit our comments (to) what our investigation found. We won’t make statements condemning what happened, but this is behavior that is not congruent with (district) policies.”

Howell interim coach Darrin Schmitz looks on as the Highlanders play against Walled Lake Northern at Lakeland Arena on Saturday night. The Highlanders lost, 3-0. PH OTO BY BRIA N BEA UPIED/D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

Howell falls to WL Northern, 3-0

By Brian Beaupied D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

WATERFORD — Two days after its coaching staff was fired amid a hazing controversy, the Howell hockey team returned to the ice Saturday in a 3-0 loss to Walled Lake Northern.

It was the first time the Highlanders had played since former coach Randy Montrose and his staff were fired last week.

The Highlanders were led by interim coach Darrin Schmitz, who was behind the bench along with recently promoted assistant, Gordie Maisel, who had been with the JV program.

Howell athletic director Dan Hutcheson served as acting coach, as Schmitz won’t officially take over next week.

Schmitz declined to comment and players were not available for comment

after the penalty-filled game, one in which the Highlanders spent 44 minutes in the penalty box.

Walled Lake Northern, which beat Milford in overtime on Friday night, took a 1-0 lead when Jack Paulson took a cross-ice feed from Eric Woolf and beat Howell netminder Andrew Brownlee with a wrist shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle.

Kyle Adkins made it 2-0 for the Knights after a 5-on3, power-play goal in the second period. Lucas Stone rounded out scoring, adding an empty-netter with just under 40 seconds remaining.

Howell, which fell to 9-32 overall, 7-1-1 KLAA West, is still comfortably in first place in the division.

But the Highlanders couldn't get anything going offensively, playing much of the game down a skater.

The Highlanders had a total of 18 penalties.

Pioneer powers past Pinckney icers, 7-3 DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

CHELSEA — The Pinckney hockey team outshot Ann Arbor Pioneer 4021 and had just four penalties in Saturday’s game at the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea.

But Pioneer had three power-play goals and went on to take a 7-3 nonconference victory.

“It sounds weird, but this is one of the hardest-skating games we’ve had,” Pinckney coach Ted Kroll said. “Most times, when you outshoot someone 40-21, you come out with a victory, but Pioneer has a good goalie who made some wonderful saves. We had more power-

plays, but we didn’t capitalize when we had the chance.”

Pioneer took the lead for good early in the second period, when Pinckney began the period trying to skate off a 5on-3 situation. But the Pioneers scored twice within a 36-second time span to take the lead for good.

“We had mental errors,” Kroll said. “We outworked them, but they only had maybe four quality chances.”

Ben Lotz scored just 10 seconds into the game for the Pirates (4-8-2). Cooper Jenkins and Brandon Okurowski also scored for the Pirates.

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D AILY PRESS & ARGUS-Sunday, January 15, 2012

Simmons to be honored at alumni game Ex-coach: ‘It’s an honor to be associated with these people’

By Tim Robinson DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

HOWELL — As he did last year, Bill Simmons has modest goals when it comes to the Howell alumni basketball game, scheduled for next Saturday at the Howell High School fieldhouse.

“I’ll try to get out there and keep from falling down for a few minutes,” he joked.

Simmons, a former Howell player and coach who is in the school’s hall of fame, will be coaching one of the teams competing in the contest, which will be a

See video on this story at livingstondaily.com.

fundraiser for the Howell boys program.

“It’s an honor to be associated with most of these kids,” he said, referring to players he coached while at Howell. “I had a great time working with them (last year) and they include me in their weddings and celebrations. I play basketball with some of them in the mornings and it’s such a joy for me. It’s an honor to be around them, much less to be honored in this way.”

The game begins at 1:30 p.m. and admission will be a donation at the door.

Organizer Guy Samples said “75 percent” of last year’s players already have signed up for this year’s game, but latecomers also are welcome.

Another fan of the game is current Howell coach Nathan Moyle.

“A lot of those guys can play,” said Moyle, who attended last year’s game.

“The game last year were pretty intense. Last year, we told the guys the next day in practice that they should

have been there watching, to see the skill level and intensity those guys had. Some of them played 30 years ago.

This year, we’ll get our guys out there. It will be mandatory to watch. It’s a good thing.”

Simmons will be one of the coaches in the contest. Told that, like Boston Celtics great Bob Cousy, he will be a player-coach, he laughed heartily.

“Exactly,” said Simmons, a 1966 Howell graduate. “I’ll be just as fast as he is now.”

Simmons will be honored during the game’s halftime.

Former Howell coach and player Bill Simmons is looking forward to Saturday’s second annual Howell alumni basketball game, held Jan. 21 at 1:30 p.m. PH OTO BY ALA N W ARD /D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

Howell ends drought Highlanders beat Brighton after 17 consecutive losses

By Brian Beaupied DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Fowlerville’s Chris Choate, top with South Lyon’s Kevin Sanchez at 171 pounds on Saturday. The Gladiators went on to finish third at Saturday’s South Lyon Invitational.

PH OTO BY GILLIS BENEDICT/D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

Glads third at invite Coach pleased with team’s performance

By Brian Beaupied DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

SOUTH LYON — It was the usual suspects leading the Fowlerville wrestling team to a third-place finish at Saturday’s South Lyon Invitational.

Juniors Adam Coon (heavyweight) and Brian Moran (215 pounds) each went 5-0 with five pins, but it was the efforts of several underclassmen Adam Coon which caught coach Dan Coon’s eye.

“Mike Amato really stepped it up today. He did a real nice job,” Coon said.

“Trevor Webb got us some pins and a lot of big points ... and Mason Litz did really good.

“But probably, I’d say the Terminator Award, for those who really got after it, would go to Mike Amato,” he added. “He started the day a little slow but kept coming after it and would never say die. Trevor Webb was on all day beating people up, too.”

Webb (145) and Litz (160), both freshmen, also went 5-0 and Amato, a sophomore at 119 pounds, was resilient, following three losses to start the day with two pins to end it for the Gladiators.

Dalton Roberts, a 103-pound sophomore, was also 5-0 for the day.

See a photo gallery at livingstondaily.com.

“I thought Webb had an excellent day and Litz had an excellent day,” Fowlerville coach Dan Coon said. “We knew Roberts could do it, he just hasn’t put it all together on the same day.

“Mike finished hard. Real hard. ... He ended up with three losses to start the day, but finished the day with two pins. That tells you something about him. He’s a kid that wasn’t supposed to be in the varsity lineup at all this year, but he just keeps showing up. Mason is definitely making some strides forward right now. I like his path right now. I think he got his mojo back today. He was beating some kids that were probably tougher than him.”

As a team, Fowlerville dropped its first match of the day , 39-34, to North Farmington. The Gladiators won their next four dual matches, against Chelsea (4730), South Lyon (41-39), Lansing Everett (66-9) and Novi (44-29) to finish 4-1 and improve to 7-3 on the season.

“I think it was just the whole morning — not getting the morning jitters out,” Adam Coon said of Fowlerville’s loss to North Farmington. “Just coming out shaky and facing a great team in the first round, I don’t want to say we mess up, but we weren’t exactly ready to go. After that, we finally put our nose to the

grindstone and got after it.”

It didn’t help that the Gladiators had two wrestlers disqualified for failing a skin inspection.

Southgate Anderson won the tournament while North Farmington finished second.

Brighton’s JV, or ‘B’ team, took seventh going 2-3 and Pinckney was ninth with a 14 record. Overall, ten teams participated.

Jordan Salmon, wrestling at 152 pounds, led the Bulldogs with three pins and a 4-1 record. Brighton’s wins came over Pinckney, 54-27, and South Lyon, 41-33.

The Pirates picked up their lone win against Lansing Everett.

More than anything, Saturday’s tournament was just another opportunity to get some young Glads more mat time.

“We still have a few things we need to work on, some of those freshman mistakes as we call them,” said Adam Coon, who is still undefeated on the year at heavyweight.

“We’re continuing to progress. We’re doing a lot better than we were doing at the beginning of the year.

“We’re still trying to train the freshmen how to wrestle at the big leagues.”

They have some good role models in Coon, a two-time individual state champion, and Moran, who wrestled Coon for the 215-pound title in Division 2 last year.

“Who? Me?” Coon said with a laugh. “Maybe.”

Hartland girls bolt past Milford D AILY PRESS & ARGUS

HARTLAND — Bailee Maggert was held scoreless in the first half of the Hartland girls basketball team’s game against Milford on Friday.

The third quarter was a different story.

The Hartland senior scored 11 of Hartland’s 24 points in the period, blowing the game open and lifting RIDAY the Eagles to a 48-29 victory.

“We shot poorly (5-for28) in the first half,” Hartland coach Don Palmer said. “We felt we were getting good looks and nothing was happening. Then in the third quarter, we had an explosion.”

Maggert added six assists, while Lindsay Pajot had eight points and eight

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rebounds for Hartland (8-1 overall, 3-0 KLAA West), which moved back into a tie for first with Brighton in the division.

Grand Blanc 39, Pinckney 28 PINCKNEY — The Pirates got out to a 14-8 lead after one period, but scored only one point in the second as Grand Blanc pulled away.

“We played our best quarter of the year in the first quarter,” Pinckney coach Jim Anttila said.

“We’re a young team and we lost focus on offense and it showed. But we’re still playing hard and we’re getting better.”

Simone Smith had 12 points to pace Pinckney (09 0-3).

DeWitt 67, Fowlerville 40 FOWLERVILLE — The Gladiators (2-6 overall, 0-4 CAAC Red) got off to a slow start and couldn’t recover.

Part of that, coach Lorraine Ross said, was due to DeWitt’s Hannah Stoll, who had 14 points off the bench.

“She’s 6-foot-2 and we didn’t have anyone who could match up with her,” Ross said.

Hannah Hammond had 14 points to pace the Glads.

Charyl Stockwell Prep Academy 30, Livingston Christian 14 PINCKNEY — The Sentinels (5-1) held the Falcons scoreless in the second period en route to the victory.

“We struggled a little bit in the first half (on offense),” CSPA coach Laurie DeLorenzo said, “but in the second half we got rejuvenated.”

Tessa O’Doherty had 11 points to pace CSPA. Kiersten Lamsent had 10 points for Livingston Christian.

HOWELL — Howell senior forward Brandon Nazione took an outlet pass from Tyler Johnson and finished it strong with two hands.

And in one, fluid motion, his momentum carried him around the rim and trotting back down the court.

Nazione let out a primal scream, or so it appeared, but it couldn’t be heard over a raucous Howell cheering section.

It was celebration and relief, all in one. This win was a long time in the making.

Nazione’s fourth-quarter dunk put an exclamation point on Howell’s 49-36 win over Brighton Friday night, the Highlanders’ first win over its rival in 17 games.

“We haven’t beat Brighton in 17 games and yeah, I personally haven’t beaten Brighton, either,” Nazione said, “so it was definitely a good win.”

Nazione finished with a double-double, including a game-high 16 points to go with 10 rebounds. Johnson, a sophomore, added 11 and senior center Milos Petrovic had seven points and seven boards for the Highlanders (4-3 overall, 2-1 KLAA West).

It was Howell’s last win over Brighton since Jan. 30, 2004, when Jake West’s 3pointer at the buzzer sank the Bulldogs. Before that, Howell hadn’t beaten Brighton in six years.

So, going into Friday night, the Highlanders had lost 29 of 30 to the Bull-dogs, and a cold first quarter from RIDAY the floor had Howell in a familiar spot: Trailing Brighton, 9-8, going into the second.

The Highlanders didn’t take their first lead until early in the quarter when Lance Lys hit a 3-pointer to put Howell ahead 11-9.

The triple put Howell ahead, but back-to-back dunks from Nazione, one a monstrous, one-handed alley-oop from Lys, gave the Highlanders a momentum swing which would last into the fourth quarter.

“I go up the court and guys are feeding me the ball,” Nazione said, “obviously I’m going to finish it.”

“Me and Brandon have good chemistry,” said Johnson, who finished with five assists — two of which outlet passes on Nazione dunks. “He knows I’m looking for him.”

Howell held a 25-20 lead at the break, but in the third, Nazione and the Highlanders took over.

Nazione scored eight of his 16 points in the third as Howell started the second half on a 6-0 run and carried a 16-point lead, 40-24, into the fourth.

That’s where Howell coach Nathan Moyle, happy with the win, was left a bit unsatisfied. Despite extending its lead to as many as 18 midway through the fourth, Brighton outscored Howell 12-9 in the quarter.

“We got a good team effort from our guys, everyone contributed positively,” Moyle started, “but the thing is, we still just kill ourselves all the time. I’m not saying the score could have been different from what it was, but when you turn the ball over 22 times — nine times in the fourth quarter — we

F

Howell’s Brandon Nazione slams two points home during the first half of Friday’s game against Brighton. The Highlanders had lost 29 of their previous 30 meetings with the Bulldogs.PH OTO BY ALA N W ARD / D AILY PRESS & ARGUS Vie w more photos at livingstondaily.com.

gave up a lot of threes, that’s tough.

“It works two ways,” he continued. “It’s great to get the win in a huge rivalry game, but the thing is, you have to smell the blood in the water. You’ve got to be a shark. Being up by 18 needs to all of a sudden be up by 30.

That’s just the mentality.

They have to decide if they want that.

“It’s never taking a play off. We take lots of plays off as a team and that’s a killer and why we lose so many close games.”

Not helping its cause, Brighton struggled with poor shooting and turning the ball over.

“I think the turnovers and our poor shooting percentage was as much our demise as anything,” Brighton coach Tony Sweet said.

If there was a moral victory for the Bulldogs, Sweet said, it was a strong defensive performance.

“I thought our defense was pretty good,” he said. “To hold a team that’s very talented, like Howell, under 50 points, then you ought to have a chance to win the game.”

The Bulldogs were led by Tyler Pokorski’s 10 points, though he spent a portion of the first half on the bench in foul trouble. Allen Largin and Tre Jones also had eight points apiece for the Bulldogs (2-6, 0-3).

Grand Blanc 73, Pinckney 61 GRAND BLANC — The Pirates took a 12-point lead at halftime, lost it in the third quarter, then saw Grand Blanc pull away down the stretch.

“They were shooting fantastic in the third quarter, and that got into our heads a little bit,” Pinckney coach Tom Reason said. “We lost the team concepts and our shot selection wasn’t as good as it was in the first half.”

Peter Barry had 21 points for Pinckney (5-3, 2-1) and Drew Stephens had 17 for the Pirates. Grand Blanc hit 14 3-pointers to move into a three-way tie for second in the West with Pinckney and

Howell.

“It was a painful loss on the road,” Reason said.

Milford 33, Hartland 30 HARTLAND — The Eagles are still in search of their first win after losing a six-point lead with 2 minutes to play.

“We’re getting closer, but still the bridesmaids,” Hartland coach Frank Leppek said. “I want to be the bride.

“We played probably our best game of the year against an unbeaten team and came close.”

Hartland led 9-6, 18-15 and 26-21 at the quarter breaks.

Tyler Leighton and Stephen Milarch had eight points apiece for Hartland (0-6, 0-3), while Dylan Videto had seven points to go with 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks (8-0, 3-0) moved into sole possession of first place in the West with the victory.

DeWitt 66, Fowlerville 57 FOWLERVILLE — The Glads went cold in the fourth quarter as the Panthers swept past them to the victory.

“One of the kids, on the way to the locker room, said, ‘Man, we’ve got to find a way to win,’” Fowlerville coach Fred Hackett said. “I think we’re showing signs of improvement. We’re on the verge of being a solid team but we haven’t seen the results yet.”

Brandon Gorshe (six rebounds) and Patrick Harmon each had 12 points and Joey Ackerman added 11 for Fowlerville (1-6, 1-3 CAAC Red).

Livingston Christian 61, Charyl Stockwell Prep Academy 45 PINCKNEY — The Falcons broke open a close game in the third quarter to improve to 7-0 on the season.

“We went on a run and they couldn’t stop us,” Livingston Christian coach Jim Milanowski said.

Luke Wenger had 19 points and seven rebounds for LCA, while Travis Hollingsworth had eight points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks.

Drew Bolem had 15 points for CSPA.