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With the football state finals in the books, the winter sports season is upon us. For coverage of basketball and more, go to mlive.com/mupreps

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / B2- B3

LOCAL PLAYERS MAKE ALL-STATE TEAMS HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION 6

Ithaca extends winning streak to 56 games

Ithaca’s 55-game winning streak, the one that could haveshould-have crushed most high school players, seemed in peril. It, like their teammate on the cart leaving Ford Field, was in trouble.

After scoring the first 14 points of the game, Ithaca fell behind 15-14 in the first quarter on an 86-yard punt return by Clinton’s Matthew Sexton on a play that left linebacker Dallas Reeser prone on the ground with a broken arm.

But Ithaca (14-0) recovered, knocking off Clinton 41-22 to win its 56th consecutive game and fourth consecutive Division 6 state title Friday at Ford Field.

More high school football state finals coverage, B2-B4

Ishpeming’s Tyrus Millimaki looks for yardage during the Hematites’ 22-12 victory against Detroit Loyola in the Division 7 state championship game Saturday at Ford Field. (Jake May/MLive.com)

LOCAL

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS DIVISION 8: MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL 35, BEAL CITY 12

One up, one down in title bids Crusaders methodically take out another foe en route to crown

By Scott Brandenburg sbranden@mlive.com

DETROIT — Muskegon Catholic Central’s football team completed a dominating postseason in style Friday.

The sixth-ranked team in Division 8 heading into the postseason, the Crusaders proved themselves No. 1 on the field with another convincing win against a highly touted opponent.

Muskegon Catholic beat its fourth ranked opponent in a row and won its ninth state title in the playoff era by beating top-ranked Beal City 35-12 at Detroit’s Ford Field.

The Crusaders had their sights set on the state title and delivered in a big way, as they beat every postseason team by at least two touchdowns.

The Crusaders were motivated to complete the journey after falling short in the semifinals a year ago.

“The expectations were there because it was pretty much the same core group of kids who lost in the semifinals (last year),” first-year MCC coach Steve Czerwon said.

“No matter who took over, there were expectations, and the kids had expectations for themselves. We were able to take the next step.

“We talked all year about getting back to the semifinals, and how important it was to win that game.

We got to the finals, and since we’re here, we thought, ‘Why not win it?’ and that’s where we ended up.”

Czerwon joins Mike Holmes (six titles) and Pete Kutches (two titles) as coaches who have won state titles at Muskegon Catholic Central since

the inception of the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs in 1975.

Czerwon got his first state title by leading his Crusaders past, among others, No. 2 Mendon (28-12 in the regional final), No. 4 New Lothrop (45-14 in the state semifinal) and the top-ranked Aggies, who finished state runner-up for the second straight season.

MCC (12-2) lost its first two games of the season to opponents with much larger enrollments, then rolled to a dozen straight victories.

Senior Alex Lewandoski got Muskegon Catholic rolling Friday with a 78-yard touchdown run on its first offensive play of the game.

“I think it’s just our line being fired up and ready to play,” Lewandoski said of scoring on the first play of the game. “When they come up and pound the other team like that, it’s great. I wasn’t touched.

I’ve got to give the credit to them.

“It feels great right now. Words can’t describe it.”

Beal City (13-1) hung tough for a half, but the Crusaders broke open a 14-6 game with 21 consecutive points in the second half.

Lewandoski, who added a 1-yard TD run in the second quarter and a 66-yard scoring run in the third quarter, amassed 218 rushing yards on 16 carries. Quarterback Nick Holt gained 123 rushing yards and junior running back Tommy Scott added 53 yards on the ground.

“Beal City put up a fight in the second quarter, but we just SEE MCC, B3

Muskegon Catholic Central players celebrate after winning the Division 8 state championship game at Ford Field on Friday. (Ken Stevens/MLive.com)

FOOTBALL

Brown garnering new Division I attention

More college football recruiters are knocking on the door of Mona Shores receiver Asantay Brown.

Brown made a non-binding verbal commitment to Western Michigan University last summer, but other Division I schools are in pursuit of the all-state receiver.

Mona Shores coach Matt Koziak said Brown has not decommited from WMU, but is listening to other offers.

Brown was named to the Associated Press Divisions 1-2 all-state teams this week.

More all-state coverage, B2 HOCKEY

Lumberjacks swept at home by Green Bay It was a tough week for the Muskegon Lumberjacks against the rival Green Bay Gamblers.

Special teams for the visitors was the difference late in a 6-3 final Saturday at L.C. Walker Arena to complete the three-game sweep this week.

Muskegon (10-10-4) lost to Green Bay 7-2 on Friday night as the Gamblers scored two power-play goals.

DIVISION 2: BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE 38, MUSKEGON 21

‘Tough as nails’ team can’t solve ‘flawless’ foe

By Mark Opfermann

mopferma@mlive.com

DETROIT — The looks on the faces of the Muskegon football players and coaches said it all.

The Big Reds went away disappointed for the second consecutive season with Friday’s 38-21 loss to Birmingham Brother Rice in the Division 2 state championship game at Ford Field.

The Big Reds finished 12-2 for the second year in a row after making it to the state finals for the first time in back-to-back seasons.

“This is something I’m not going to get used to being the first interview on the losing side,” Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield said. “I’m going to Muskegon’s Javauntae Thomas tries to get extra yardage against Birmingham Brother Rice’s go back and evaluate what Jeffrey Timko in the first quarter of the Division 2 state championship game at Ford Field on we’re doing wrong in the Friday. Brother Rice won 38-21. (Ken Stevens/MLive.com) championship game. It’s my unfortunately two years in a tough as nails. They played championship. responsibility and duty to 28 games for our fans in two row now, we fell on the other “These kids played a put these kids in the right end of it. We’ll do something years. There’s going to be position and give them a bet- heck of a game. They fought right to get back here and a winner and a loser, and through a lot and they’re ter chance to win the state

win ourselves a state championship.”

Muskegon got two firstquarter touchdown runs by Deshaun Thrower, but was shut out the final three quarters until Justin Foster took a pass from Thrower and went 86 yards for a touchdown with 3:30 to play.

It was the longest pass play in Division 2 state finals history, but was too little, too late.

Thrower finished with 99 yards rushing on 22 carries, but was shut down in the second half and was hobbling for another week late in the game. He battled hand and ankle injuries much of the playoffs and finished 6-of-16 passing for 183 yards.

“Coach said it all. They switched defenses in the second half and (we had) a couple missed opportunities.

It was like we really couldn’t SEE MUSKEGON, B3

B2 / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Local Sports ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

Spring Lake senior honored for athleticism

By Mark Opfermann

The senior finished the season with eight interceptions, including two that MUSKEGON — What were returned for touchChase Slagboom lacked in downs. He also had a kickoff size, Spring Lake football return and a punt return for coach Jerry Rabideau knew he would make up for in ath- touchdowns to help Spring Lake to the Lakes 8 champiletic ability. onship.

For his efforts, Slagboom “In coverage, man on man, earned Associated Press he’s as good as anybody that first-team all-state honors has played for me,” Rabideau for Divisions said.

3-4 in a vote Rabideau said Slagboom by a statewide is getting interest from media panel.

Slagboom, a Division II college recruiters.

“Even at his height, he’s 5-foot-10, going to be a corner in col155-pound lege and have a successful senior defensive back, was career,” Rabideau said. “He’s Slagboom got a great nose for the ball a speedster and tough cover man for the and can read and know where the ball will be.”

Lakers.

Area players earning “He’s a shorter kid, but honorable mention all-state he can slam a basketball,” honors were linebacker Rabideau said. “He’s got a Jake Frederick, of Spring nose for the ball and that Lake; two-way lineman Chris made him a unique football Hendricks and linebacker player.”

Slagboom turned out to be Nathan Kriger, of Fruitport; a ball hawk and game-chang- and punter Grant Clark, of Fremont. er on special teams.

mopferma@mlive.com

MCC

CONTINUED FROM B1

happened to have a real good third quarter,” Czerwon said.

Holt had an interception late in the first half and did not complete a pass, but it didn’t matter because MCC churned out chunks of yards on the ground.

“We knew we were tougher than them up front,” Holt said. “If we’re tougher up front, and we can open up some holes, then I don’t need to do much.”

MCC, which outgained the Aggies 402-263 overall and 402-161 on the ground, got its first three TDs from Lewandoski. Scott’s 21-yard touchdown run made it 28-6 in the third quarter, and Holt’s 1-yard plunge put MCC ahead 35-6 in the fourth.

The Aggies entered the game 49 points away from the state scoring record but never hit big plays and had trouble sustaining long drives against an MCC defense that had allowed 102 points entering the finals.

Hayden Huber carried 13 times for 52 yards and scored Beal City’s only rushing touchdown, a 2-yard run with 3 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Ty Rollin added 44 yards on nine carries for the Aggies.

Quarterback Kurt Gross suffered an injury early, and he and Tucker Gross combined for 9-of-22 passing for 102

yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

“We had some assignment errors here and there that were crucial and blew things up for us, and obviously, they’re a big, strong, fast team, and you can’t have those kinds of mistakes,” Beal City coach Lou Rau said.

Lewandoski led MCC with nine tackles. Lamar Jordan recorded eight tackles, and Michael Caughey and Jake Kimbrough each had seven tackles.

The Crusaders defense was tested by Beal City’s balanced attack, but adjustments in the secondary led to a pair of interceptions.

Blake Sanford’s pickoff set up one Crusaders score, and Holt also recorded an interception.

The MCC defense put an exclamation point on the win by busting through the line and sacking Gross on a twopoint conversion try after Beal City’s Ryan Tillmann scored on an 8-yard reception with about two minutes left.

The Crusaders ran out the clock to clinch their ninth state title.

“I’d be real happy if I was a fan right now,” Czerwon said.

“I am happy to be the one coaching them right now.

This was great for the kids, great for the Catholic community, and it’s great for me, but there’s just happiness everywhere here at Catholic Central.”

Muskegon Catholic Central quarterback Nick Holt protects the ball from a Beal City defender in the fourth quarter of Friday’s state championship game. (Ken Stevens/MLive.com)

Mona Shores’ Asantay Brown runs upfield against Lowell earlier this season. Brown earned all-state honors after catching 56 passes for 1,094 yards and 11 touchdowns. (Rex Larsen/MLive.com) ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

Three named to Divisions 1-2 select squad

By Mark Opfermann mopferma@mlive.com

MUSKEGON — Big-play talent came to the forefront from the big football schools in the Muskegon area.

And that was on both sides of the ball.

Quarterback Deshaun Thrower and defensive tackle Ken Finley from Muskegon and Mona Shores wide receiver Asantay Brown were among the best of the best and received Division 1-2 first-team all-state football honors as named by The Associated Press.

Thrower shared the Co-Player of the Year with Detroit Cass Tech defensive back Damon Webb, who has made a verbal commitment to Ohio State University.

Thrower, who has signed to play Division I basketball at Stony Brook University in New York, excelled on the football field and led the Big Reds to the state championship game with his dualthreat ability.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder rushed for more than 1,700 yards, passed for 1,110 and totaled 39 touchdowns. One of his top games was a 218-yard rushing performance in a 45-0 win against Rockford in Week 3.

“Offensively, Deshaun is a huge threat for people and taken over games at times and done some great things for us,” Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield said. “What we lacked for up front, interior-line wise, he’s been able to make up with his athleticism and strength and tenacity and will to win.

MUSKEGON

CONTINUED FROM B1

get in a rhythm in the second half,” Thrower said.

While the Big Reds were denied their first title since 2008 and Fairfield his second shot at a first, Brother Rice sent legendary coach Al Fracassa out on top in his 57th and final season. It was Brother Rice’s third consecutive state title and ninth in the playoff era.

“When you have great players, you do a lot of winning,” Fracassa said. “I hate to take all the credit. (My assistants), they coached. They did most of the coaching and I did most of the yelling.”

He didn’t have to get on junior quarterback Alex Malzone much.

Malzone torched the Muskegon secondary for 20-of-24 passing for 263 yards and four touchdowns to lead Brother Rice. He also scored

“If you don’t put two people on him, you’re not going to block him,” Fairfield said.

Finley led the charge on the defensive side for the Big Reds from his defensive tackle position. He has made a verbal commitment to Western Michigan University.

At 6-foot-2, 285 pounds, Finley could blow up plays and had 13 tackles for loss and topped 50 tackles during the playoff run.

“Kenny has been a factor for our linebackers to be so successful. He’s such a force up front and he’s so driven. We’re very blessed to have him, and he definitely causes some teams some issues, and that allows us to run free a little bit more in other areas,” Fairfield said.

A repeat member of the all-state team, Brown was the area’s top receiver and helped the Sailors earn their first playoff berth in school history. He was a threat to go the distance any time he touched the ball and finished with 56 receptions for 1,094 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for four touchdowns on eight carries.

“I think the thing that sticks out about Asantay is he’s never satisfied,” Mona Shores coach Matt Koziak said. “He put on 18 pounds and got faster. He’s led by his work ethic in the weight room.

You tell him to do some drill work and something in the weight room and he never asks why.”

Koziak said Brown getting stronger helped the 6-foot, 185-pounder shed

on a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter on a fake field goal.

“They blitz a lot, but the offensive line picked them up, and obviously, our receivers stepped up and made some big plays and I was able to spread the ball around,” Malzone said. “It’s just a great feeling sending (Fracassa) out like that. Great coach, great man. Best coach I’ve ever had.

It means a lot.”

Both teams scored on their first two possessions in the first quarter and combined for almost 500 yards in the first half.

Brother Rice came out throwing, and Malzone set the tone by completing 5-of-6 passes on the opening drive, capped by a 16-yard hookup to Damaris Woods.

Malzone added a pair of scoring throws covering 34 and 18 yards to Grant Perry and added a 21-yard touchdown pass to Corey Lacanaria in the fourth quarter.

Brother Rice led 21-14 at

tackles and turn short gains into big plays.

Brown had a 255yard, three-touchdown game in a 26-20 loss to Muskegon and finished with 11 school records, including career marks Brown for receiving yards (1,951), receptions (100) and receiving touchdowns (22).

“He can absorb hits, stay on his feet and has the ability to score from anywhere,” Koziak said.

Brown originally Finley committed to Western Michigan University but has opened up the recruiting process and has a visit scheduled to Minnesota on Friday.

Minnesota coaches were expected to come to Muskegon.

Reeths-Puffer running Thrower back Julian Munday received special-mention honors, and teammate Stephen Hanson, a senior lineman, was an honorablemention pick, along with Mona Shores quarterback Tyree Jackson.

Fairfield, who led the Big Reds to back-to-back trips to the state finals, was considered for the Coach of the Year award, which went to Temperance Bedford’s Jeff Wood.

halftime, and the game turned into a defensive struggle after a scoreless third quarter.

“It was kind of in the first half we scored, they scored, we scored, they scored. I didn’t know what was going on,” Fracassa said. “We had a tremendous defensive unit out there, and we settled down and made adjustments at halftime, and we did a pretty good job.”

Muskegon used blitzes off the edge to put pressure on Malzone to slow him down but couldn’t get good field position or force any turnovers.

“They played flawless,” Fairfield said. “When you play a great football team that’s 13-0, arguably the best team in the state (Divisions) 1 through 8, you can’t have any mistakes.”

Jason Alessi drilled a 31-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to put Brother Rice ahead 24-14, and the Warriors put the

game away after recovering a fumble by Thrower at the Muskegon 21-yard line.

On the next play, Lacanaria scored off a short pass with 10:58 left to make it 31-14.

Malzone capped the scoring for Brother Rice with a 17-yard touchdown run off a faked field goal with 4:33 to play.

Muskegon finished with a 390-378 edge in total offense, but Brother Rice had a big edge in first downs (24-14) and more than 10 minutes in time of possession.

Javauntae Thomas added 62 yards rushing and Tavon Jackson had 53 for Muskegon, but most of the damage came in the first half.

Lacanaria finished with 10 catches for 125 yards for Brother Rice.

Muskegon’s top three tacklers were defensive backs Alezay Coleman with 11, John Hall with nine and Jordan Waire with eight.

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MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / B3

Local Sports MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTR AL: A LOOK BACK REGULAR SEASON • Mona Shores 25, MCC 16: MCC led the Sailors 16-7 at halftime on a humid night but wore down in the second half of coach Steve Czerwon’s debut.

• Grand Rapids Catholic Central 16, MCC 13: The Crusaders led 13-6, but a field goal midway through the fourth quarter left them 0-2.

• MCC 41, Grant 6: Czerwon got his first career win as Alex Lewandoski and Tommy Scott both went over 100 yards in rushing.

• MCC 59, Muskegon Heights Academy 16: The Crusaders had four interceptions and a safety.

• MCC 70, Tri-unity Christian 0: The Crusaders piled up a 401-9 edge in rushing yards.

• MCC 55, Orchard View 6: MCC celebrated its 60th anniversary as a school with a homecoming rout. Junior quarterback Nick Holt rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another for MCC. • MCC 45, Wyoming 0: Lewandoski had 175 rushing yards on nine carries and three touchdowns. It was a milestone for assistant coach Mike Ribecky, who was part of his 300th career win with MCC. • MCC 42, Fruitport 7: The Crusaders avenged an overtime loss to Fruitport in 2012 and clinched a playoff berth. Lewandoski scored four touchdowns.

• MCC 42, Traverse City St. Francis 0: MCC’s defense stood tall, allowing only one first down and 9 yards in total offense on 29 plays. Holt and Lewandoski had a hand in all six touchdowns.

Muskegon Catholic Central’s Alex Lewandoski breaks free for a 78-yard touchdown run on the Crusaders’ first offensive play in their 35-12 victory against Beal City in the Division 8 state championship game. (Ken Stevens/MLive.com)

DIVISION 8: MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL 35, BEAL CITY 12

Great start, finish for Lewandoski “I don’t think I even got touched on the play. Just give the credit to (the line).”

Lewandoski also scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter as MCC took a 14-6 lead at halftime. His 66-yard

By Mark Opfermann burst in the third quarter broke the mopferma@mlive.com game open.

DETROIT — Alex Lewandoski could Junior quarterback Nick Holt also not have asked for a better ending to his rushed for 123 yards and had a touchfootball career at Muskegon Catholic down run, and Tommy Scott scored on Central. a touchdown run as MCC piled up 402 Or a better start to his day Friday. rushing yards.

Lewandoski raced 78 yards for a “We knew the quarterback and No. 15 touchdown on MCC’s first offensive play (Lewandoski) were going to be trouble from scrimmage, and the Crusaders from the beginning, and they ran our T rolled to a 35-12 victory against topoffense to a T, and it was tough to stop ranked Beal City in the Division 8 state both of them,” Beal City coach Lou Rau championship game at Ford Field. said.

“I’m excited. The stats and touchBut the day belonged to Lewandoski. downs don’t really matter. The win feels Lewandoski also led the defense with great for the team,” Lewandoski said. a team-high nine tackles and broke up Lewandoski, a senior two-way stand- two passes that could have been interout and first-team all-stater, capped his ceptions. football career for the Crusaders with “People talk about one of the better 218 yards rushing and three touchsmall-school players. We feel he’s one of downs. the better players, regardless of class, The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder wowed in the state of Michigan,” MCC coach the fans at Ford Field by taking his first Steve Czerwon said. “He’s looking to go handoff around the right side and won on and play some in college. He’s just a the race to the corner and down the heck of a player and great team player sidelines to open the scoring. and great individual player. I think, “It was a regular Power 7, and our line personally, some Division I school just blocked it great,” Lewandoski said. is missing the boat if they don’t take

Day begins with long TD run, ends with a championship

“We feel he’s one of the better players, regardless of class, in the state of Michigan.”

MCC COACH STEVE CZERWON, ON ALEX LEWANDOSKI

another look at Alex with the recruiting season coming up.”

Lewandoski is being recruited by many Division II schools and has been offered spot by Saginaw Valley State University, but he hopes to gain interest from Division I programs, as well.

But he said that didn’t matter Friday.

Lewandoski was taken out with less than two minutes left and got a hug from Czerwon coming off the field for the final time in his MCC career.

The state title was the ninth in MCC history since the playoff era began in 1975. MCC also claimed a state title in 1974, when Lewandoski’s father, Frank, was an all-state linebacker and center.

Lewandoski was happy to add to the school, and family, tradition.

“It’s something special. There’s no other tradition like Catholic. That’s why we get kids coming back for generations, and to get a championship under Catholic’s belt is great,” he said.

DIVISION 2: BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE 38, MUSKEGON 21

Thrower leaves legacy on Big Reds program quarterback for the Big Reds.

He was quick to name off multiple successful Muskegon quarterbacks and said it is an honor to be in the same company as they are in leading

By Scott Brandenburg the Big Reds to the state final. sbranden@mlive.com That includes last year’s starter, Jalen Smith, who DETROIT — Muskegon led the Big Reds to the final senior quarterback Deshaun before Thrower came in for Thrower’s final walk down him after a leg injury. a tunnel to the locker room The fact Thrower got wearing the Big Reds football Muskegon back into the state uniform was a slow one. final despite its overall youth Thrower’s 6-foot-1, is a testament to his leader195-pound body has taken a ship and explosiveness. The ton of pounding this season Big Reds were extremely against some tough teams, inexperienced up front, but including the toughest of all, Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield consoles quarterback Thrower still racked up tons Birmingham Brother Rice, Deshaun Thrower after the Big Reds’ 38-21 loss to Birmingham of yards and led the Big Reds in the Division 2 state final Brother Rice in the Division 2 state championship game Friday. to 12 wins and to Ford Field.

Friday.

(Ken Stevens/MLive.com) Now, it’s on to basketball Despite a gimpy left ankle for Thrower, who might need and a myriad of other bumps and bruises, Thrower gave it Alex Malzone. The defending of people who would probably a little breather before lacing his all and kept third-ranked state champs scored on their like to be in my shoes. It’s the up his sneakers.

“I’m ready for basketball, Muskegon in the game for first two possessions. first time Muskegon’s ever but it’s going to be a lot harder a half in a 38-21 loss to the Muskegon also scored on been in back-to-back state nationally ranked Warriors. its first two drives, thanks finals, so even though we lost moving on after losing this game,” Thrower said.

“He’s just a competitor,” in large part to Thrower’s both times, there’s still good The Division I basketball Muskegon coach Shane perseverance and legs. The to come from it.”

Fairfield said of Thrower. “You quarterback rushed seven Another highlight from the signee has high hopes for a successful hoops season with can put him in Brother Rice, times for 64 yards and two game was Thrower’s 86-yard the Big Reds before heading you can put him in Rockford touchdowns — a 6-yarder to touchdown pass to Justin to Stony Brook University in or in Muskegon, it doesn’t cap Muskegon’s first drive Foster in the fourth quarter. matter. This kid’s a warrior and 16-yarder to finish its secThe hookup was the longest New York.

Fairfield no longer is wherever he’s going to go.” ond possession. pass play in Division 2 state Thrower’s coach, but he is By the end of the game, Thrower was 1-for-1 passfinals history and the fifthThrower took longer and ing for 7 yards in the opening longest of any final, regardless anticipating big things from his quarterback. longer to get up after each hit quarter, which ended 14-14 of class or division.

“He’s going to be a chamhe took from a hard-hitting and looked like the beginning “If we would have won the pion in basketball, he’s going Brother Rice team. of another thriller. Last year, game and I had that play, it But in the first quarter, Thrower led a Big Reds rally would have meant a whole lot to be a champion in the college level and he’s going to be and for most of the first half, that fell short in a 35-28 loss more,” Thrower said. a champion in life,” Fairfield the senior transfer from to Brother Rice in the state For the game, Thrower said.

Muskegon Heights was every final. rushed 22 times for 99 yards “At the end of the day, bit his explosive self and gave This time, the Warriors and completed 6-of-16 passes Big Reds fans hope for yet proved too tough for a rally, for 183 yards. Several dropped championships are come and gone, but it’s the character of another state title. but Thrower was grateful to balls hurt his percentage and the young men that leave the Brother Rice came out flybe there. contributed to stalled drives. ing on the arm of its heavily “It was a great experience,” Thrower understands what legacy behind and means the recruited junior quarterback, Thrower said. “There are a lot an opportunity he had to play most in our eyes.”

Coaches, fans will fondly remember quarterback’s toughness, explosiveness

PLAYOFFS PRE-DISTRICT MCC 42, Fulton 14: The Crusaders opened the playoffs by scoring on their first five possessions.

Blake Sanford had a pair of touchdown catches.

DISTRICT MCC 42, Fowler 0: In a playoff rematch from 2012, the Crusaders had three scoring plays of 50 yards or more, including an 89-yard run by Holt.

REGIONAL MCC 28, Mendon 12: MCC went on the road and pounded the No. 2-ranked team in the state. Holt had 192 yards rushing and two touchdowns as MCC outmatched Mendon’s defense, which had allowed just 19 points all season.

STATE SEMIFINAL MCC 45, New Lothrop 14: Lewandoski outplayed New Lothrop’s Amari Coleman, the Player of the Year on the Division 7-8 all-state team.

Lewandoski had 261 yards rushing and three TDs. STATE FINAL MCC 35, Beal City 12: Lewandoski went 78 yards on the first offensive play for the Crusaders and finished with 218 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. MCC ended up beating the No. 2 (Mendon), No. 4 (New Lothrop) and No. 1 (Beal City) in the final three weeks to capture their first state title since 2008.

MUSKEGON: A LOOK BACK REGULAR SEASON • Muskegon 41, Grand Haven 7: Caleb Washing had a fumble return for a touchdown (20 yards), and John Hall had an intercepted return (43 yards) for a touchdown.

• Muskegon 35, Grand Rapids Christian 13: Muskegon, trailing 6-0 at halftime, scored three times in less than two minutes to pull away. Deshaun Thrower had four second-half touchdown runs .

• Muskegon 45, Rockford 0: This one was about defense and Thrower. Muskegon limited Rockford to four first downs, and Thrower ran for 218 yards.

• Lowell 31, Muskegon 20: The Big Reds fell behind 20-7 in the first quarter and were hurt by fumbles.

Thrower had a season-low 40 yards rushing.

• Muskegon 26, Mona Shores 20: Muskegon didn’t go ahead until the fourth quarter on a 53-yard pass play to a wide-open Tavon Jackson.

• Muskegon 52, Grand Rapids Union 14: The Big Reds rolled with a 49-point outburst in the first half. Fullback Javauntae Thomas rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns for the Big Reds.

• Muskegon 40, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 0: Thrower put up a career-high 426 yards in total offense and connected on four touchdown passes as the Big Reds clinched a playoff berth.

• Muskegon 54, Zeeland East 0: A rematch of last year’s OK Black championship game was all Muskegon in the Big Reds’ third shutout of the year.

• Muskegon 20, Reeths-Puffer 7: The championship game for the OK Black title was tied 7-7 at halftime, but Thrower scored on a pair of secondhalf touchdown runs to close the regular season.

PLAYOFFS PRE-DISTRICT Muskegon 49, Reeths-Puffer 14: The Big Reds jumped out to a 21-0 lead to take control in the rematch against R-P. Thrower scored four touchdowns, and Thomas added two scores.

DISTRICT Muskegon 28, Lowell 21: The Big Reds went on the road to avenge their lone loss of the season. Taran Smith recovered a key fumble late in the game, and the Big Reds didn’t clinch the win until the final minute by stopping an on-side kick bid.

REGIONAL Muskegon 24, Midland 7: In the final game of the season at Hackley Stadium, the defense stuffed Midland’s running attack (minus-11 yards rushing), and linebacker Will Hunt scored on a 67-yard interception return to spark the Big Reds.

STATE SEMIFINAL Muskegon 41, Portage Central 35: In brutally cold and windy conditions at East Kentwood, the Big Reds led most of the way but needed a touchdown run by Thrower in the final minute to seal the victory.

STATE FINAL Birmingham Brother Rice 38, Muskegon 21: The Big Reds trailed 21-14 at halftime, but Brother Rice took over in the second half to deny the Big Reds their first state title since 2008 in a rematch of the 2012 title game. Thrower ran for two touchdowns and passed for one, but Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone did even better with four touchdown passes and one rushing.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ALL-STATE DIVISIONS 1-2 The 2013 Associated Press Division 1-2 All-State football team, which is selected by a statewide panel of Michigan sports writers: CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR Deshaun Thrower, Muskegon Damon Webb, Detroit Cass Tech QUARTERBACKS Sean Koski, Macomb L’Anse Creuse North, 6-0, 170, Sr. Deshaun Thrower, Muskegon, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Sr. RUNNING BACKS Mike Campbell, Battle Creek Lakeview, 5-8, 165, Sr. Andre Houston, Bay City Central, 5-10, 194, Sr. Devon Spalding, Westland Glenn, 6-2, 180, Sr. Michael Weber, Detroit Cass Tech, 5-10, 205, Jr. WIDE RECEIVERS Ben Bigham, Lowell, 6-3, 180, Sr. Asantay Brown, Muskegon Mona Shores, 6-0, 187, Sr. Brandon Sowards, Wyandotte Roosevelt, 6-1, 187, Sr. LINEMEN Ken Finley, Muskegon, 6-2, 278, Sr. Jeremiah Harris, Temperance Bedford, 6-5, 230, Sr. Elliot Jordan, East Kentwood, 6-6, 254, Sr. Austin Labus, Portage Northern, 6-5, 300, Sr. Lawrence Marshall, Southfield, 6-4, 245, Sr. Scott Masyra, Macomb Dakota, 6-1, 255, Sr. Nick Matich, Clarkston, 6-3, 300, Sr. Malik McDowell, Southfield, 6-6, 295, Sr. Bearooz Yacoobi, Dearborn, 6-5, 265, Sr. David Moorman, Northville, 6-4, 285, Jr. LINEBACKERS Michael Alexander, Midland, 6-0, 215, Sr. Devonte McGregor, Taylor Truman, 6-4, 205, Sr. Angelo Proulx, Warren Mott, 6-0, 180, Sr. Brent Showers, Rockford, 5-11, 220, Sr. Daouda Sylla, Ypsilanti Community, 5-8, 200, Sr. Will White, Detroit Cass Tech, Sr., 6-1, 225, Sr. DEFENSIVE BACKS Mickey Losey, Portage Central, 6-1, 185, Sr. Damon Webb, Detroit Cass Tech, 6-0, 180, Sr. Brian Cole, Saginaw Heritage, 6-2, 205, Jr. SPECIALIST Avonte Maddox, Detroit King, 5-10, 165, Sr. PUNTER Darren Ford, Howell, 6-3, 185, Sr. KICKER Jacob Simpson, Wyandotte Roosevelt, 5-11, 165, Sr. COACH OF THE YEAR Jeff Wood, Temperance Bedford SPECIAL MENTION Nominees receiving two or more votes from the 10-member panel: Jason Alessi, Birmingham Brother Rice; K.J. Osborn, Ypsilanti Lincoln; E.J. Jackson, Lansing Eastern; Julian Munday, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer; Brennan Miller, Midland Dow; Kyler Shurlow, Lowell; Ty Glover, Holt; Leondre Terry, Lansing Everett; Nader El-Awar, Saline; Luke Idoni, Fenton; Josh Colegrove, Lowell; Donnie Ernsberger, Lakeview; Niko Savich, Macomb Dakota; Tyriq Thompson, Detroit King; Jevonte Alexander, Flint Carman-Ainsworth HONORABLE MENTION Nominees receiving one or no votes from the 10-member panel: Jayru Campbell, Detroit Cass Tech; Joey Hewlett, Northville; Tyree Jackson, Muskegon Mona Shores; Kyle Bambard, Walled Lake Western; Alex Malzone, Birmingham Brother Rice; Glacier Wallington, Oxford; D.J. Zezula, Clarkston; Ecka Henderson, Saginaw Arthur Hill; James Claborn, Fenton; Tre’von Avery, Grand Blanc; Lucas Barner, Lansing Everett; Lorenzo Collins, Farmington Hills Harrison; John Kelly, Oak Park; Doug Roberts, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley; Ross Williams, Birmingham Groves; Joe Reverman, Grand Ledge; Romello Ross, Detroit Western; Ethan Campbell, Traverse City Central; Jake Barann, Allen Park; Brent Morris, Warren De La Salle; Blake Williams, Romeo; Brandon Scott, Grand Blanc; Zach Evans, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills; Darryl Johnson, Flint Carman-Ainsworth; Dakota Lawhon, Holt; Patrik Moriarty, East Lansing; Chukes Okorafor, Southfield; Jake Onstott, Warren-Mott; Sicelo Robinson, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley; Nic Sawyer, Saline; John Smutny, Saline; Stephan Hanson, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer; Emani Mason, Detroit East English Village Prep; Brian Sanders, Detroit Cass Tech; Matt Skibinski, Livonia Churchill; Randy Garvin, Rockford; Jordan Jenkins, Novi Detroit Catholic Central; Tyler Trisch, Brighton; E.J. Shaah, Ypsilanti Lincoln; Johvi Reynolds, Fenton; Alex Brackett, Grand Blanc; Parris Bennett, U-D Jesuit; Jake Boucher, Canton; Andrew DeMoss, Detroit East English Village Prep; Mehdi Shukr, Dearborn Fordson; Geordon Carter, Traverse City West; Jared Wangler, Warren De La Salle; Brett Oliver, Hartland; Mac Hamilton, Fenton; Demarion Allen, Flint Carman-Ainsworth; Romeel Dozier, Holt; Caleb Richard, Midland Dow; Nick Wasyl, Pinckney; C.J. Weiss, Livonia Stevenson; Quinn Nordin, Rockford; Jake Herbers, Battle Creek Lakeview; Eric Hansen, Dearborn; Zach Bock, Novi Detroit Catholic Central HONORABLE MENTION COACHES: Al Fracassa, Birmingham Brother Rice; Thomas

Wilcher, Detroit Cass Tech; Matt Miller, Battle Creek Lakeview; Shane Fairfield, Muskegon; Ralph Munger, Rockford; Nate Williams, Flint CarmanAinsworth

DIVISIONS 3-4 The 2013 Associated Press Division 3-4 All-State football team, which is selected by a statewide panel of Michigan sports writers: PLAYER OF THE YEAR Alex Grace, Saginaw Swan Valley QUARTERBACKS Jacob Johnson, DeWitt, 6-2, 185, Jr. Jon Wassink, Grand Rapids South Christian, 6-2, 180, Jr. RUNNING BACKS Ray’nell Anderson, Sault Area, 6-1, 190, Sr. Jack Turak, St. Joseph, 6-1, 195, Sr. Avonte Bell, Lansing Sexton, 6-1, 215, Jr. Alex Grace, Saginaw Swan Valley, 6-1, 205, Jr. WIDE RECEIVERS Austin Gordon, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 6-4, 240, Sr. Marquian Johnson, Clawson, 6-4, 190, Sr. Kyle Steigenga, Holland Christian, 6-5, 185, Sr. LINEMEN Tommy Doles, Grand Rapids Christian, 6-5, 260, Sr. Damon Fuller, Redford Thurston, 5-11, 245, Sr. Jacob Howe, Forest Hills Northern, 6-2, 240, Sr. Alex Neering, Essexville-Garber, 6-5, 240, Sr. Alex Schwartz, Lake Fenton, 5-11, 195, Sr. Alec Stevens, West Branch Ogemaw Heights, 6-5, 270, Sr. Jordan VanDort, Zeeland West, 6-5, 300, Sr. LINEBACKERS Jake McKiernan, Richmond, 6-1, 185, Sr. Preston Pelham, Tecumseh, 6-3, 240, Sr. Kyle Rachwal, Lapeer East, 6-3, 215, Sr. Quentin Sweeney, Wayland Union, 6-3, 220, Sr. Taylor Reaume, Saginaw Swan Valley, 6-1, 195, Jr. DEFENSIVE BACKS Chris Ruby, DeWitt, 5-10, 175, Sr. Chase Slagboom, Spring Lake, 5-10, 155, Sr. Josh Smith, Riverview, 5-8, 175, Sr. Jalen Watts-Jackson, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 5-11, 180, Sr. SPECIALISTS Malik Boynton, Melvindale, 6-1, 180, Sr. Jake Bush, Comstock Park, 5-10, 175, Sr. PUNTER Cullen Hoffman, St. Joseph, 5-10, 175, Jr. KICKER Josh Flamme, Mason, 5-10, 160, Jr. COACH OF THE YEAR Jesse Hoskins, Milan SPECIAL MENTION Nominees receiving two or more votes from the 10-member panel: Landry Reynolds, Marshall; Chance Stewart, Sturgis; Tyler Sigler, Grand Rapids Christian; Marcus Samuels, Riverview; Ja’Von Wray, Lansing Sexton; Mike Miklusicak, Wayland; Danny Bauder, Zeeland West; Mikhail Myles, Corunna; Erik Belco, Mount Pleasant; Kenton Rivard, Marine City; Colton Pfaendtner, St. Clair; Austin Hoover, Milan; Ryan Gruszka, Comstock Park; Tim Symons, Lake Fenton; Neil Allor, Lake Fenton; Bo Meldrum, St. Clair SPECIAL MENTION COACH Jason McIntyre, Mount Pleasant HONORABLE MENTION Nominees receiving one or no votes from the 10-member panel: Ryan Boyd, Richmond; Haiden Majewski, Allendale; Robert Kanitz, Milan; Jalen Brooks, Cadillac; Omar Salih, Detroit Cesar Chavez; Jason Doyle, Melvindale; Ty Sparks, Clawson; Tyler Wiegers, Beverly Hills Detroit Country Day; Jared Tobey, St. Clair; Robert Backus, Mount Pleasant; Bryce Dickman, Haslett; Austin Gregory, Ionia; Cooper Murphy, Coldwater; Bailey Miholer-Wortinger, Three Rivers; Jermaih Johnson, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Noah Bargouthy, Essexville-Garber; Elijah Sandore, Monroe Jefferson; Pete Patsalis, Marine City; Maurice Ways, Beverly Hills Detroit Country Day; Colin Prominski, Ionia; Javon Cooney, Lansing Sexton; Kalvyn Bowdish, Sturgis; Tyler Eckler, Chelsea; Colt Hudak, Cheboygan; Jameson Knolton, Cheboygan; Connor Smith, Three Rivers; Chris Hendricks, Fruitport; Micah Smith, Detroit Old Redford; A.J. Tinholtz, Zeeland West; Zach Geno, Pennfield; Dan Harrizin, Stevensville-Lakeshore; Travis Myrick, Edwardsburg; Derek Brown, Yale; Brady Beedon, Marysville; Bailey Lamb, Escanaba; Thomas Cook, Monroe Jefferson; Christopher Bukoski, DeWitt; Shain Shannon, Lansing Sexton; Bryce Wilker, Belding; Connor Conaboy, East Grand Rapids; Micah Dekens, Byron Center; Ethan Badger, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Christian; Jake Frederick, Spring Lake; Marcus Merrill, Remus Chippewa Hills; Zack Lear, St. Joseph; Dustin Leach, Richmond; Josh Smith, Marysville; Wyatt Batdorff, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern; Nathan Kriger, Fruitport; Kyle Williams, Paw Paw; Blake Meldrum, St. Clair; Evan Huber, Mount Pleasant; Nate Couturier, Allendale; Matt Bacon, Riverview; Grant Clark, Fremont; Ben Pearson, Cheboygan HONORABLE MENTION COACH Jim Webb, Cadillac

B4 / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / , / ,

High School Football STATE FINALS DIVISION 1: CLARKSTON 32, DETROIT CATHOLIC CENT. 14

DIVISION 6: ITHACA 41, CLINTON 22

Eriksen leads Clarkston to first state crown

By Tim Wing

gain into Clarkston territory.

He followed that with an DETROIT — Clarkston’s 18-yard pass to Zach Bock. A Ian Eriksen ran for 237 yards personal foul added 15 yards and three touchdowns, lead- for CC. ing the Wolves to their first Dylan Roney ultimately championship in school hisran in from 2 yards out to tory with a 32-14 win over put CC on the board and trail Detroit Catholic Central on 18-7 going into the fourth.

Saturday at Ford Field.

Clarkston extended its Eriksen scored his first lead when Caine Watlington touchdown on a 37-yard run was left wide open, catching in the third quarter, which a 47-yard touchdown pass put Clarkston up 12-0. Four from Zezula at 8:35 in the minutes later, he punched in fourth quarter. a 1-yard score.

However, Catholic In the final quarter, Central was not finished, as Eriksen broke to the right for Birney hit Alexander Bock a 30-yard gain, putting the straight up the middle for Wolves on the 12-yard line. a 48-yard touchdown pass, On the next play, he rushed ending a seven-play, 80-yard up the middle, was held up drive with 5:46 left in the at the 2 by a Catholic Central game. defender and stretched the Eriksen’s third rushing ball past the goal line for his touchdown made it 32-14. third and final touchdown.

Catholic Central looked Clarkston took a 6-0 lead to the end zone on fourth13 seconds before halftime, and-14 late in the fourth capping a 91-yard drive with quarter, but the pass intenda 15-yard touchdown pass ed for Nicholas Coccetta to Shane Holler from D.J. bounced out of his hands, Zezula. and the Shamrocks turned Two big plays helped the the ball over on downs with Shamrocks march down the 2:35 left. field and score their first After a couple of short touchdown late in the third gains, Clarkston took a knee quarter. First, quarterback and ran out the remainder of Sean Birney ran for a 17-yard the clock.

For MLive.com

Ithaca wide receiver Eli Villalobos catches a pass in the second quarter of the Division 6 state championship game against Clinton on Friday. Villalobos had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in Ithaca’s 41-22 victory. (Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

Ithaca punctuates 56-game win streak with fourth consecutive title

By Hugh Bernreuter

scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Smith to Eli Villalobos.

DETROIT — For a moment, the conDespite the lead, the Ithaca coaches fidence wavered, and the silence overhad plenty to do at halftime. The whelmed the cheers.

Clinton running game tore through the Ithaca’s 55-game winning streak, the Yellowjackets defense, gaining 208 yards one that could’ve-should’ve crushed most on 15 carries by halftime. Poore had run high school players, seemed in peril. It, for 106 yards on only five carries, includlike their teammate on the cart leaving ing a 64-yard run. Sexton had a 57-yard Ford Field, was in trouble. run, while quarterback T.J. Backer had After scoring the first 14 points of the 49 yards, including a 39-yard run. game, Ithaca fell behind 15-14 in the first Clinton scored on its opening possesquarter on an 86-yard punt return by sion to take a 22-21 lead on an 8-yard TD Clinton’s Matthew Sexton on a play that run by Poore. left linebacker Dallas Reeser prone on It was the last lead and last score of the the ground with a broken arm. season for the Redskins.

“A lot of high school kids would The Ithaca defense finished with seven crumble under the pressure,” Ithaca sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Aaron coach Terry Hessbrook said. “But this Barnes, who replaced Reeser, finished is a special group of athletes who are so with four tackles, including two sacks for smart and so mentally tough. Still, it was 13 yards. a crucial point in the game.”

Ithaca quarterback Travis Smith comIthaca (14-0) recovered, knocking pleted 17 of 27 passes for 247 yards and off Clinton 41-22 to win its 56th confour touchdowns. He added 123 yards secutive game and fourth consecutive rushing to lead the Yellowjackets.

Division 6 state championship Friday at Poore finished with 125 yards rushing Ford Field. to pace Clinton, while Baker completed Ithaca took a 21-15 lead into halftime, 13 of 22 passes for 63 yards. hbernreu@mlive.com

He was intercepted twice.

Sexton caught four passes for 23 yards.

Logan Hessbrook caught six passes for 93 yards, while Villalobos added six catches for 82 yards. Hafner finished with four catches for 45 yards.

Sophomore Jace Demenov, who moved to inside linebacker after Reeser’s injury, led the defense with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Seth Capen added seven tackles, including two sacks, three tackles for loss and one forced fumble.

“It was definitely surreal being here,” Baker said. “I came last year to watch Ithaca play, but it’s different being on the field. I was a nervous wreck when I stood on the field. It was a fun game to play in.”

The streak, however, is still alive in Ithaca.

“Every year, the seniors are relieved that they weren’t the group that ended the streak,” Terry Hessbrook said.

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on a high school kid. In every game, they have a target on their backs and the pressure of not being the group of seniors who ended the streak.”

DIVISION 4: MARINE CITY 49, GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN 35

Marine City navigates past Sailors in high-scoring affair

By Michael Niziolek

91 yards for a touchdown.

“If I never come off the field, DETROIT — Jarrett that means my coaches trust Mathison did a little bit of me,” Mathison said. “I just everything at Ford Field on play my heart out, like there’s Friday in a wild Division 4 no tomorrow, even though I’m state football championship a junior. Watching those final game against Grand Rapids seconds tick off the clock, it’s South Christian. the best thing that’s ever hapThe Marine City junior had pened to me.” an impact in all three phases Mathison’s role for Marine of a 49-35 win that was one of City (13-1) didn’t develop until the highest- scoring games in a week before the season.

Michigan High School Athletic As a sophomore, Mathison Association finals history. was the starting quarterback Mathison had 18 carries for for an 8-2 Mariners team 110 yards with a pair of touch- that lost in pre-districts. The downs, caught four passes coaching staff decided to go for 30 yards, intercepted two with Alex Merchant as the passes and ran back a kickoff starter this season. mniziole@MLive.com

“There wasn’t really a decision until a week before the first game. They said I was playing fullback,” Mathison said. “I didn’t care. I wanted to do whatever I had to be able to help the team out.”

Moving Mathison out of the quarterback spot also allowed Marine City coach Ron Glodich to use him as a starting defensive back.

“We had to tell him he would be a benefit on both sides of the ball, and that gamble paid off (Friday),” Glodich said. “He is just a warrior.

He was stronger tonight at the end of the game than the beginning.”

The decision paid huge dividends for the Mariners’ offense and defense.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder led the team with 31 touchdowns (25 rushing) and was second on the team with 1,068 rushing yards. He also had 18 receptions for 501 yards and 36 tackles.

On the season’s biggest stage, Mathison showed off all his talents as he provided a spark for his team whenever they needed it.

Mathison capped off a 15-play, 69-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-all at the 10:28 mark.

DIVISION 3: ZEELAND WEST 34, DEWITT 27

Zeeland West holds off late charge by top-ranked DeWitt

By Brandon Howell brhowell@mlive.com

DETROIT — Zeeland West pounded the rock on the ground and held off a second-half charge from DeWitt to capture the Dux’s third state championship in the program’s nine-year history.

The Dux (13-1) set the tone early in the Division 3 state title game. On the second offensive play, senior running

back Danny Bauder took a hand-off through a seam on the left side of the offensive line and used his track-star speed to accelerate past the DeWitt defense for an 80-yard touchdown run.

Zeeland West controlled the pace of the game for the remainder of the first half, rushing for 257 yards on 29 carries as it gashed the Panthers’ defense for a 28-7 halftime lead.

DeWitt got back into the game in the third quarter thanks to a costly Dux fumble.

The Panthers scored two touchdowns in a span of 72 seconds to close within one possession late in the fourth.

DeWitt’s big-play potency was on display in the second half, as the Panthers scored on two one-play drives and one two-play drive.

The Panthers closed to

within a touchdown when quarterback Jacob Johnson found a wide-open Josh Borta for a 75-yard touchdown bomb late in the third quarter.

DeWitt had a chance to get the ball for one last gasp when they forced a punt with about 40 seconds left, but the Panthers were flagged for roughing the kicker, which extended the Zeeland West drive and allowed the Dux to run out the clock.

DIVISION 5: G.R. WEST CATHOLIC 27, MENOMINEE 14

West Catholic grinds out win over Menominee

By Ian Johnson For MLive.com

Grand Rapids West Catholic’s habit of ending Menominee’s season continued Satuday, as the Falcons topped the Maroons 27-14 in the Division 5 finals.

West Catholic (10-4) has defeated Menominee (13-1) in the past four postseasons.

West Catholic’s title is the second in school history.

The game was even — albeit slowly paced — at the outset, and West Catholic quarterback Travis Russell’s 24-yard connection with David Bancuk was the only score of the first half.

In the second half, West Catholic took over.

The Falcons used the infamous “fake substitution” play out of a field goal formation to score an easy touchdown. Bryce Wintham pretended to sub out on a fourth down, but stayed in the field of play and went untouched 30 yards to the endzone.

Two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter gave West Catholic a three-possesion lead, and Menominee’s runfirst offense couldn’t keep pace.

The Maroons had several promising drives stall out in enemy territory, and the teams’ inability to get points in the red zone undid its title hopes.

DIVISION 7: ISHPEMING 22, DETROIT LOYOLA 12

Ishpeming tops Loyola for back-to-back titles

By Tim Wing

For MLive.com

DETROIT — Ishpeming won its second straight title over Detroit Loyola on Saturday, defeating the Bulldogs 22-12 in the Division 7 championship game at Ford Field.

Detroit Loyola bobbled the opening kickoff, and Ishpeming’s Ozzie Hakkarinen recovered the ball at the 23-yard line.

The early turnover led to a 17-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Antilla from Alex Briones, and Adam Prisk ran in the two point conversion to give the Hematites an 8-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.

Ishpeming never trailed.

The Hematites converted two fourth-and-1s in the first quarter, and set up a third-and-goal situation at the end of 12 minutes of play, setting up a Mitch Laurin touchdown catch on the first play of the second quarter to put Ishpeming up 14-0 Loyola marched into a first-and-goal late in the half, but Ishpeming halted every attempt from the Loyola running attack. Marvin

Campbell’s fourth-down run was stopped at the 1-yard line, and Ishpeming kept its lead at 14-0 at halftime.

Sparked by a 37-yard run from Prisk, Briones closed out a 54-yard drive with a 2-yard run, diving into the end zone for the score to put Ishpeming up 22-0 in the third quarter.

Loyola scored its first touchdown with 1:46 left in the third quarter, when Keith Graves was left wide open down the middle and scored on a 34-yard pass from Garrett Schaller.

The Bulldogs notched their second and final score with just under four minutes to play in the final quarter.

Darrell McEntire caught a 17-yard pass on fourth down, which led to a 31-yard touchdown pass to Graves from Schaller on the next play.

Schaller was sacked on the conversion attempt, with Loyola trailing 22-12.

Loyola marched down the field on its next drive, but Ishpeming’s Ozzy Corp intercepted a pass at the 5-yard line, and Ishpeming ran out the clock to win its fourth state title.

For the latest breaking news, go to mlive.com/sports

Sports

C

SECTION

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

NFL / C6

NO GUARANTEES FOR THE LIONS, YET

OUTDOORS / C8

HUNTER PASSES ON DEER, FISHES FOR MUSKIE

OHIO STATE 42, MICHIGAN 41

STATE COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Big Ten Standings Conference

Overall

LEGENDS

W

L

W

L

Michigan State Iowa Nebraska Minnesota Michigan Northwestern

8 5 5 4 3 1

0 3 3 4 5 7

11 8 8 8 7 5

1 4 4 4 5 7

Conference

U-M goes down swinging

Overall

LEADERS

W

L

W

L

Ohio State Wisconsin x-Penn State Indiana Illinois Purdue

8 6 4 3 1 0

0 2 4 5 7 8

12 9 7 5 4 1

0 3 5 7 8 11

x-Penn St. ineligible for postseason play Friday’s game Iowa 38, Nebraska 17 Saturday’s games Michigan State 14, Minnesota 3 Ohio State 42, Michigan 41 Indiana 56, Purdue 36 Northwestern 37, Illinois 34 Penn State 31, Wisconsin 24 Saturday, Dec. 7 Michigan State vs. Ohio State, 8:17 p.m., at Indianapolis, TV: Fox

Mid-American Standings Conference

Overall

EAST

W

L

W

L

Buffalo Bowling Green Ohio Akron Kent State Massachusetts Miami (Ohio)

6 7 4 4 3 1 0

2 1 4 4 5 7 8

8 9 7 5 4 1 0

4 3 5 7 8 11 12

Conference

Overall

WEST

W

L

W

L

Northern Illinois Ball State Toledo Central Michigan Eastern Michigan Western Michigan

8 7 5 5 1 1

0 1 3 3 7 7

12 10 7 6 2 1

0 2 5 6 10 11

Tuesday’s game N. Illinois 33, Western Michigan 14 Friday’s games Central Michigan 42, E. Michigan 10 Bowling Green 24, Buffalo 7 Akron 31, Toledo 29 Ball State 55, Miami (Ohio) 14 Ohio 51, Massachusetts 23 Friday, Dec. 6, at Detroit N. Illinois vs. Bowling Green, 8 p.m.

Ohio State’s Dontre Wilson throws a punch at Michigan’s Delano Hill during a fight in the second quarter Saturday. Wilson was one of three players ejected from the game after the fight. (Courtney Sacco/MLive.com)

By Nick Baumgardner

nbaumgardner@mlive.com

ANN ARBOR — This was supposed to be a massacre.

Instead, Michigan fell just two yards short against Ohio State.

After Devin Gardner found Devin Funchess for a 2-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds to play, Brady Hoke opted to go for a go-ahead twopoint conversion instead of a gametying extra point.

Gardner’s pass was intercepted in the end zone, and the Wolverines (7-5) fell short of a stunning upset Saturday, falling 42-41 to the Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium.

Gardner put together a heroic effort in this one — going 32 of 45 for 451 yards and four touchdowns.

But Ohio State’s offense, all day long, was far too much — as Carlos

MORE INSIDE Box score, additional coverage, C2

hopped on a Carlos Hyde fumble at the Buckeyes 41.

After guiding the Wolverines down to the 2, Gardner hit freshman Hyde ran 27 times for 226 yards to tight end Jake Butt for a game-tying lead a Buckeye attack that racked up score with 5:01 to go.

393 yards on the ground.

Ohio State fired right back, In a wild first half that saw 611 though, easily moving down the combined yards and three ejecfield to set up a 1-yard plunge from tions, the Wolverines stunned the Hyde to make it 42-35.

Buckeyes and stood tied 21-21 at Michigan’s last gasp effort was the break before Ohio State finally all Gardner, who found Funchess in began to take over. the corner of the end zone to bring Ohio State (12-0) went up 35-21 Michigan within a point. Instead of late in the third after Braxton going for the extra point and forcMiller’s 22-yard scoring pass to Jeff ing overtime, the Wolverines opted Heuerman. But U-M wasn’t done. to go for the two-point play — but Gardner led the Wolverines on an Gardner’s pass, intended for Drew 11-play, 83-yard drive that resulted Dileo, was intercepted. in an 11-yard scoring strike to Drew U-M tried an onside kick but did Dileo. Then, Michigan found some not recover, and Ohio State secured good fortune when Thomas Gordon its 24th consecutive win.

LOWLIGHTS

•Michigan could not stop Ohio State on the ground. Carlos Hyde ran up the middle at will, and Braxton Miller found a way to keep plays alive with his feet. The Buckeyes finished with 393 rushing yards.

•Michigan could not afford to make mistakes or leave points on the field. The Wolverines missed what would have been an easy score on a reverse pass as the throw was just a bit long. Gardner fumbling in the third quarter and Michigan’s failed fourth-and-2 call deep in Ohio State territory on the ensuing drive were momentum killers.

•Things got ugly early in the second quarter, when tempers boiled over during an on-field fight SEE U-M, C2

Top 25 Football No. 1 Alabama (11-1) lost at No. 4 Auburn 34-28 No. 2 Florida State (12-0) d. Florida 37-7 No. 3 Ohio State (12-0) d. Michigan 42-41 No. 4 Auburn (11-1) d. No. 1 Alabama 34-28 No. 5 Missouri (10-1) vs. No. 19 Texas A&M No. 6 Clemson (10-2) lost at No. 10 South Carolina 31-17 No. 7 Oklahoma State (10-1) Next: vs. No. 20 Oklahoma, Saturday.

No. 8 Stanford (10-2) d. No. 25 N.Dame 27-20 No. 9 Baylor (10-1) d. TCU 41-38 No. 10 S.Carolina (10-2) d. No. 6 Clemson 31-17 No. 11 Michigan State (11-1) beat Minnesota 14-3 No. 12 Oregon (10-2) d. Oregon St. 36-35, Fri No. 13 Arizona State (9-2) vs. Arizona No. 14 Wisconsin (9-3) lost to Penn St. 31-24 No. 15 LSU (9-3) d. Arkansas 31-27, Friday No. 16 Fresno State (10-1) lost to San Jose State 62-52, Friday No. 17 UCF (10-1) d. South Florida 23-20, Friday No. 18 Northern Illinois (12-0) d. Western Michigan 33-14, Tuesday No. 19 Texas A&M (8-3) at No. 5 Missouri No. 20 Oklahoma (9-2) Next: at No. 7 Oklahoma State, Saturday.

No. 21 Louisville (10-1) Next: at Cincinnati, Thursday No. 22 UCLA (8-3) at No. 23 Southern Cal No. 23 Southern Cal (9-3) vs. No. 22 UCLA No. 24 Duke (10-2) d. N. Carolina 27-25 No. 25 N.Dame (8-4) loses at No. 8 Stanford 27-20

MICHIGAN STATE 14, MINNESOTA 3

Defense buries Minnesota; Ohio State next

By Mike Griffith

mgriffith@mlive.com

EAST LANSING — Michigan State outslugged Minnesota 14-3 to close out its regular season with an eight-game win streak and a perfect conference mark at a sunny but cold Spartan Stadium on Saturday.

It was the fifth time in the past six games that Michigan State’s defense, ranked No. 1 in the nation entering the game, held its opponent without a touchdown.

The 11th-ranked Spartans (11-1, 8-0 Big Ten) advance to the Big Ten championship game next Saturday where they will face No. 3 Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) at 8 p.m. in Indianapolis.

An announced crowd of 71,418 braved freezing temperatures to say goodbye to the 18 seniors who

MORE INSIDE Box score, more coverage, C3

have piled up 40 wins, the most by any class in Michigan State football history.

Minnesota (8-4, 4-4) took the game into the fourth quarter and was not turned away until defensive tackle Tyler Hoover forced a fumble at the Minnesota 14 that Denzel Drone recovered. It was the Gophers’ third and final turnover in the game.

Minnesota finished with 249 total yards — more than 100 under its average of 351.3 yards per game.

Michigan State held every opponent it faced in the regular season under its total yards average.

Michigan State tailback Jeremy

Langford rushed for more than 100 yards for the seventh consecutive game, finishing with 134 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. QB Connor Cook was 10-of20 passing for 143 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Spartans, leading 7-3 at halftime, came out throwing in the second half, and Cook passed them down the field on an eightplay, 75-yard drive that culminated with his 12-yard TD strike to tight end Josiah Price. That made it 14-3 with 12:20 left and proved to close the scoring.

Michigan State drove to the Minnesota 19-yard line in the third quarter thanks to a 35-yard run by Aaron Burbridge on a reverse, but Michigan State’s Kurtis Drummond brings down Langford was dropped for a Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner on Saturday.

SEE MSU, C3

(AP)

C2 / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Wolverines

U-M shows its heart

Nick Baumgardner gardner rdner@ nbaumgardner@ m mlive.com

A

NN ARBOR – Three yards.

One hundred and eight inches.

Nine feet.

That’s all that stood between Michigan and one of the most eye-popping, narrativechanging upsets in the history of “The Game” on Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

Three yards to prove the Wolverines weren’t a complete disappointment this season.

Three yards to show anyone who cared that though this football team isn’t perfect, it’s never been even remotely close to folding up shop and calling it a day this season.

Three yards to prove that, yes, this football team does have talent, it can develop that talent, and it can compete at a high level for four quarters.

In the end, it was three yards too long. Michigan misfired on a two-point conversion attempt and lost to Ohio State, 42-41. But three yards do not overshadow 60 minutes.

And Saturday, in 60 minutes, Michigan — Brady Hoke’s Michigan — proved all of the above to itself, if no one else. And that, for now, is mighty big.

“It doesn’t matter what our record is, it doesn’t matter what’s happened the past few years, we’re the winngest program in college football, that’s how it is,” Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan said when asked why his team believed it had a shot Saturday. “And as long as coach Hoke’s here, that’s how it’s going to be, alright?

“I don’t care about fair-weather fans, I don’t. All I care about are the people in that room. I could care less if there

College Football Davis’ final-second return lifts Auburn past ‘Bama

The Associated Press

AUBURN, Ala. — Chris Davis raced 100-plus yards with a missed field-goal attempt for a touchdown on the final play to lift No. 4 Auburn to a 34-28 win over No. 1 Alabama on Saturday.

Davis caught the ball about 9 yards deep in the end zone after freshman Adam Griffith’s 57-yard attempt fell short. He then sprinted down the left sideline and cut back with nothing but teammates around him in a second straight hard-to-fathom finish for the Tigers (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).

Auburn clinched a spot in

TOP 25 ROUNDUP The Associated Press

U-M’s Thomas Gordon forces a fumble by OSU’s Carlos Hyde. (Courtney Sacco/MLive.com)

were 110,000 Ohio State fans here today. This team knew what it was going to do. It was going to fight.”

This was supposed to be a beating. A rout. An embarrassment.

Michigan Stadium was filled with scarlet all afternoon. Chants of “OHIO” broke out more than once, coming from Ohio natives who more than likely bought their tickets, for next to nothing, from disgruntled Michigan backers who gave up on the season and gave up on this team.

Al Borges’ offense was supposed to be broken. Devin Gardner was supposed to be out of gas. And Hoke was supposed to be losing control of his program.

Except, well, it wasn’t.

“I’ll be very excited to see the next game,” said Hoke, whose team will play in a bowl. “Let’s see if we play with that same passion they had today, that energy.”

Saturday ended in another loss.

There’s really no way around it.

The Wolverines left points on the field, allowed far too many big plays and had absolutely no answer for Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde.

Michigan, as it has in four of its five losses this season, fell a handful of plays

short of victory. Penn State, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio State — four losses that weren’t decided until the final seconds.

This football team is 7-5, and it deserves to be 7-5. Sure, it’s been close.

But close doesn’t work. Especially at Michigan. Good teams make those three or four plays that make up the difference between winning and losing.

Great teams probably get those three yards, too. Michigan isn’t great. Not right now. Far from it, actually.

But Michigan isn’t dead either.

“This team will be a Big Ten championship team before you know it,” Lewan said. “We’ll fight, claw, scratch and get knocked down. But we’ll keep moving forward. No matter what. That’s what it’s all about, and that’s what this team is all about.

“We kept going no matter what. They were the No. 3 team in the country, we could have easily rolled over and died.

But we kept fighting, kept going, kept moving. Every time.”

Three yards can say an awful lot.

And even though Michigan came up short Saturday, the 60 minutes it put together said something more.

Michigan isn’t perfect.

But it’s not dead either.

Jameis Winston threw three touchdown passes to Kelvin Benjamin, and No. 2 Florida State moved a step closer to playing for the national championship with a 37-7 victory at rival Florida on Saturday.

The Seminoles improved to 12-0 for the first time since 1999 and likely will earn a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game by beating Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game next Saturday.

Florida, meanwhile, ended its worst season since 1979.

The Gators (4-8) lost their final seven games and missed a bowl for the first time since 1990. Florida’s bowl streak had been the second-longest in the country, behind Florida State.

The Seminoles were fourtouchdown favorites in this lopsided matchup — that

By Josh Slagter

jslagter@mlive.com

Hoke: ‘We play the game to win’

By Nick Baumgardner

STOCK UP

ANN ARBOR — There are moments in this rivalry that will live on forever, either good or bad, for both Michigan and Ohio State.

And Saturday in Ann Arbor, one more epic situation was added to the history books when Michigan coach Brady Hoke opted to go big or go home.

After a touchdown catch

by Devin Funchess made it a 42-41 game, Hoke huddled with his seniors on the Michigan sideline following a Buckeye timeout and asked them if they wanted to go for the win or play for overtime.

The team wanted to win. Hoke listened. But, as has been the case more often than not this season, the cards just weren’t in Michigan’s favor.

Devin Gardner’s two-point conversion pass was intercepted, giving the heavilyfavored Buckeyes a thrilling 42-41 win and handing the Wolverines a heaping pile of

U-M

CONTINUED FROM C1

after a kick return. Ohio State had two players ejected, Dontre Wilson and Marcus Hall, while Michigan reserve linebacker Royce JenkinsStone also was tossed out of the game after the scrum.

•Right or wrong, Hoke’s decision to go for two will likely be debated for quite some time.

HIGHLIGHTS

•Michigan’s offense finally had a heartbeat early

heartbreak in their fifth loss of the year.

It was a gamble, and it failed. But if he had to do it over again, Hoke says he’d pull the trigger — no question.

“We play the game to win,” Hoke said in a matter of fact tone after Michigan’s 42-41 loss to the Buckeyes.

“I thought about it. And we did it.”

They just didn’t make it.

After hitting Funchess to pull within one, Gardner lined up in the shotgun on the two-point try and was looking to get slot receiver Drew Dileo 1-on-1 over the middle of the field to win the football game.

It’s a play Gardner says the Wolverines work on routinely in practice, but on Saturday, it just didn’t come through.

Ohio State safety Tyvis Powell picked off the pass in the end zone, Michigan did not recover the onside kick and the Buckeyes celebrated their 24th straight vic-

in the game. On U-M’s first possession, Gardner led a 99-yard drive, highlighted by an 84-yard catch by Jeremy Gallon. Gardner was 11 of 14 for 238 yards in the first half alone.

•Gallon continues to pile up yards in what has been a historic individual season for a wide receiver. He moved into second on the school’s single-season receiving list.

He finished with nine catches for 175 yards.

•Michigan fought its tail off against pretty large odds, and went down swinging in the end.

tory, making Buckeye coach Urban Meyer a perfect 24-0 in Columbus.

“We ran a two-point play we practice (a lot),” said an emotionally drained Gardner, who finished his day 32 of 45 for 451 yards and 4 touchdowns in defeat. “And it got intercepted.”

Part of the reason why Hoke said he went for the two-point try instead of the extra point had to do with Michigan’s defense.

Or, lack thereof.

After Gardner hit Jake Butt with 5:01 to play to tie the game at 35-all, the Buckeyes needed just 2:41 to rip off 65 yards in 6 plays — all by way of the ground — to go back in front.

Ohio State, as a team, rushed 46 times for 393 yards and four touchdowns.

Running back Carlos Hyde ran 27 times for 226 yards and quarterback Braxton Miller carried it 16 times for 153 yards.

Michigan’s fortunes in overtime might not have

been rough. In fact, there’s no guarantee Ohio State couldn’t have taken the ensuing kickoff and made something happen with the final 32 seconds of regulation.

Hoke said he wasn’t thinking about a possible two-point conversion until the final score was made, but when the time came, he didn’t hesitate.

“We wanted to go win the football game,” he said.

It’s another one of those plays that will likely be talked about for a long, long time.

One play, with everything on the line.

Go big or go home?

Michigan opted for the former, but ended up with the latter. Still, even after a bitter defeat, there was zero sense of regret from Hoke or any of his players with the decision to give it a shot.

“I don’t think there was one guy that said ‘no,’ “ Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan said. “Everyone said yes. We were behind our coach 100 percent.”

NO. 3 OHIO ST. 42, MICHIGAN 41 Ohio St. Michigan

14 14

7 7

14 0

7—42 20—41

FIRST QUARTER Mich—Gardner 1 run (Wile kick), 9:24.

OSU—D.Smith 53 pass from B.Miller (Basil kick), 5:08.

Mich-Toussaint 4 run (Wile kick), 2:11.

OSU-B.Miller 53 run (Basil kick), :55.

SECOND QUARTER Mich—Gallon 17 pass from Gardner (Wile kick), 14:28.

OSU—B.Miller 21 run (Basil kick), 1:03.

THIRD QUARTER OSU—B.Miller 3 run (Basil kick), 6:59.

OSU—Heuerman 22 pass from B.Miller (Basil kick), 1:05.

FOURTH QUARTER Mich—Dileo 11 pass from Gardner (Wile kick), 11:15.

Mich—Butt 2 pass from Gardner (Wile kick), 5:01.

OSU-Hyde 1 run (Basil kick), 2:20.

Mich-Funchess 2 pass from Gardner (pass failed), :32.

A-113,511.

First downs Rushes—yards Passing Comp—Att—Int Return Yards Punts—Avg. Fumbles—Lost Penalties—Yards Time of Possession

OSU Mich 23 31 46-393 35-152 133 451 6-15-1 32-47-0 0 7 3-44.7 3-44.0 2-1 1-1 3-25 4-35 26:39 33:21

lived up to advance billing.

NO. 24 DUKE 27, UNC 25

Ross Martin kicked a 27-yard field goal with 2:22 left and No. 24 Duke beat North Carolina 27-25 on Saturday, completing the Blue Devils’ improbable run to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

Anthony Boone threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns to Jamison Crowder as the Blue Devils (10-2, 6-2 ACC) clinched the Coastal Division championship with their eighth straight victory.

DeVon Edwards’ interception with 13 seconds left clinched the long-suffering program’s first 10-win season.

Duke will face No. 2 Florida State next weekend in Charlotte, where the heavy underdog Blue Devils will go for their first ACC crown since 1989.

Gardner and Gallon great, but not the run defense ANN ARBOR — A quick evaluation of Michigan after the Wolverines’ 42-41 loss to Ohio State on Saturday:

nbaumgardner@mlive.com

the SEC championship game with the stunning victory over the two-time defending national champions.

The Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1) seemed at several times poised to continue its run toward the first three-peat in modern college football.

Instead, the Tigers put it away just when overtime seemed their best hope.

Alabama had gotten 1 second and one more play after T.J. Yeldon ran it to Auburn’s 39.

That gave the Tide a chance to try to the long field goal — and now it probably wished it never did.

•By the fourth quarter, Devin Gardner could barely get off the field. But he willed Michigan to touchdowns on its first three drives and then its final three drives, finishing with 451 yards on 32-of-45 passing. That’s second only to the 503 he had against Indiana in October.

•Jeremy Gallon was sprung loose by Taylor Lewan on an 84-yard screen on Michigan’s first drive, and that paved the way for a huge day. Gallon finished with nine receptions for 175 yards and a touchdown. Gallon is up to 1,284 yards on the season, just 45 behind Braylon Edwards’ single-season record (1,330 in 2004). He’s now had a reception in 38 consecutive games.

•Jake Butt and Drew Dileo entered the game with 12 and nine receptions on the season, respectively, but were weapons against the Buckeyes. Both players finished with five catches — 85 yards for Butt, 60 yards for Dileo — and a TD. STOCK DOWN

•Michigan knew Ohio

State was going to try to run the ball, but it couldn’t stop it. Carlos Hyde finished with 226 yards on 27 carries and Braxton Miller finished with 153 on 16 attempts. As a team, the Buckeyes averaged 8.5 yards per rush.

•Josh Furman and Courtney Avery started at safety and were victimized too many times in the passing game. Ohio State’s Devin Smith got behind Furman for a 53-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and U-M would’ve been burned for a few more big plays through the air if Miller was on target.

Thomas Gordon didn’t play until the second quarter and tied for the team lead with six tackles, and forced and recovered a fumble by Hyde.

HOLDING STEADY

•Brady Hoke has received his share of criticism in November, and athletic director Dave Brandon even issued a statement of support this week. To Hoke’s credit, despite the Wolverines’ struggles, his team hasn’t quit all season. And that was very evident Saturday. Going for the win with the two-point conversion took guts.

•Michigan’s future at running back still appears bright, with freshmen De’Veon Smith and Derrick Green combining for 104 yards on 19 carries.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Ohio St., Hyde 27-226, B.Miller 16-153, Corey (Philly).Brown 1-12, J.Hall 1-4, Team 1-(minus 2). Michigan, Smith 7-57, Green 12-47, Toussaint 5-33, Gardner 9-10, Funchess 2-5.

PASSING-Ohio St., B.Miller 6-15-1-133. Michigan, Gardner 32-45-0-451, Gallon 0-1-0-0, Team 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING-Ohio St., Heuerman 2-59, D.Smith 1-53, Fields 1-12,Corey (Philly).Brown 1-6, Hyde 1-3.

Michigan, Gallon 9-175, Butt 5-85,Dileo 5-60, Toussaint 4-48, Funchess 4-41, Kerridge 2-10, Reynolds 1-13,Chesson 1-10, Hayes 1-9.

Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner (98) throws a pass in the first quarter Saturday. (AP)

MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / C3

Spartans

College Football BIG TEN

‘We’ve got one more to go’ Mike ke iffith Griffith

mgriffith riffith live.com m @mlive.com

E

AST LANSING — This season’s Michigan State team is ready to take its place among the greatest in the program’s 118-year history, with a No. 1-ranked defense, the first-ever 8-0 Big Ten mark and a school-record 40 wins from its senior class.

But Spartans coach Mark Dantonio made it clear following a physical, 14-3 win over Minnesota that left players limping out of the stadium on Saturday that Michigan State’s job is not yet finished.

“Nobody’s giving anyone Gatorade showers,” Dantonio said. “We’ve got one more to go.”

That one, the Big Ten championship game against No. 3 Ohio State (12-0, 8-0 Big Ten), takes place at 8 p.m. next Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Dantonio said “it feels good” that many goals have been set and met along the way of the 11th-ranked Spartans’ 11-1 campaign in 2013. But the ultimate prize, a dream Dantonio first aimed at in 1995 when he served as an assistant in East Lansing during Nick Saban’s shortlived era, remains unrealized.

It’s the Rose Bowl, “The Granddaddy of them All,” the trip to Pasadena, Calif., that Michigan State has not taken since Jan. 1, 1988, under the direction of former coach George Perles. That game, a 20-17 win over USC, marked the Spartans’ first Rose Bowl trip since 1965.

Perles’ team, much like Dantonio’s club, preferred a smash-mouth ground game on offense. It’s much like what Michigan State tailback Jeremy Langford described after his seventh-consecutive

Michigan State players, including Jermaine Edmondson (39), Kurtis Drummond, Trae Waynes (15), R.J. Williamson (26) and Max Bullough (40), celebrate Waynes’ interception against Minnesota during the second quarter Saturday. (AP)

100-yard-plus rushing performance on Saturday: “Pound Green Pound.”

But Perles’ defense, led

by College Football Hall of Famer Percy “No Mercy” Snow and the backbone of a 7-0-1 league mark, couldn’t match up to the unit Dantonio has put on the field this season.

Certainly, Minnesota coach Jerry Kill left Spartan Stadium convinced by the 2013 Spartans, saying: “Michigan State is the number-one defense in the country, period.”

Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said this season’s unit is “no question” the best he’s led at Michigan State, and could rank among the best in the program’s history.

“It’s a great group and by far the best defense I’ve ever been a part of,” Narduzzi said after his defense held an opponent without a touchdown for the fifth time in the past six games. The Spartans also completed a regularseason sweep of holding opponents under their total offense average in all 12 outings.

“I haven’t been here as long as some of you have been,” Narduzzi said, “but it has to rival as one of the best defenses ever at Michigan

State, forget the last seven years.”

The Spartans will take on a Buckeyes’ offense led by Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Miller at quarterback.

It’s an Ohio State team riding a school-record 24-game win streak that finished the regular season as the Big Ten’s scoring champion after a 42-41 win on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

Michigan State AllAmerican cornerback Darqueze Dennard gave the Buckeyes their props when asked about the upcoming title game, but it’s obvious the Spartans defense heads to Indianapolis with confidence.

“We’re gonna play Michigan State football, and I know our defense will come out and dominate them, and we’ll come out there fired up and be ready to roll, and I know our offense is, too.”

Dennard said. “Braxton Miller does a lot of great things, Carlos Hyde is a great running back, the receivers do a great job making plays as well.”

But the Spartans have a score to settle in the Big Ten after a painful 2012 campaign that saw them lose five games by a combined 13 points.

One by one, they have

avenged those close conference losses from a season ago, and all with a victory margin of 12 points or more: Iowa (26-14), Michigan (296), Nebraska (41-28) and Northwestern (30-6).

Ohio State — a 17-16 winner in East Lansing last season — is on deck.

Michigan State middle linebacker Max Bullough hasn’t forgotten any of the details, right down to a controversial whistle that changed that game.

“Last year was a tough year for us. We played them pretty well, held them to 17 points, had a fumble that would have been a touchdown that was called back, that should have been a touchdown,” Bullough said.

“We’ll be ready to play.”

Or, as Narduzzi said, “We have an opportunity to clean up something from a year ago.”

The Spartans also have an opportunity to touch home after Dantonio essentially called the Rose Bowl shot at the team banquet a year ago, when he told his returning players, “You will be the ones.”

Said Dantonio on Saturday: “Why not us? You need to dream big, and that’s what we’re doing.”

MSU

NO. 11 MICH. ST. 14, MINNESOTA 3 Minnesota Michigan St.

CONTINUED FROM C1

5-yard loss, then Cook fumbled when dropped on a hit he didn’t see coming.

Michigan State’s 7-3 lead at the half could have been larger.

The Spartans went 80 yards on seven plays on their first possession of the game, scoring when Langford sprinted in 14 yards out to make to 7-0.

Michigan State was driving for more in the second quarter when the left side of the Spartans’ line got whipped, and Langford was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 29.

The Gophers cut the lead to 7-3 on Chris Hawthorne’s 21-yard field goal.

Minnesota executed a fake punt on fourth-and-2 at the Spartans 40 to keep its drive alive and had a second-andgoal at the MSU 1-yard line.

Linebacker Denicos Allen came up with a tackle behind the line for a 2-yard loss before Mark Scarpinato completed the stand by batting down a third-down pass, leading to the field goal at the 3:49 mark of the second quarter.

Trae Waynes’ second interception of the first half set up Michigan State to drive for more points, but Cook made a poor throw across his body and was intercepted deep in

Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford fends off Minnesota’s Damien Wilson. (AP)

Minnesota territory before the half, costing the Spartans a try for a field goal.

SPARTAN HIGHLIGHTS

•Cornerback Trae Waynes made his first career interception with a leaping grab at the Spartans 44 to stem a firstquarter Gophers drive.

•Punter Mike Sadler had yet another 9-iron like punt, dropping a 47-yard punt in at the Minnesota 4-yard line.

•Tony Lippett had a onehanded, over-the-shoulder grab for 24 yards on the opening drive of game, which resulted in a TD. •Aaron Burbridge ran 35 yards on a well-executed reverse, as Cook faked a handoff up the middle before handing to Bennie Fowler on a sweep who handed to Burbridge running a sweep to the opposite direction.

SPARTAN LOWLIGHTS

•Langford was stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 29 early in the second quarter, as the Spartans left side got beat by Gophers.

•The Spartans special teams got caught flat-footed on a Gophers fake punt when up-back Maxx Williams took the snap and ran 7 yards on fourth-and-2 at the Michigan State 40-yard line.

•Cook made a poor decision throwing across his body for Lippett, leading to an interception in Minnesota territory and preventing a field goal try before half.

•Michigan State right tackle Fou Fonoti was beaten off the line by Minnesota end Theiren Cockran, who delivered a fumble-inducing hit on Cook that the Gophers recovered on their own 32-yard line in the third quarter.

0 7

3 0

0 7

0— 3 0—14

FIRST QUARTER MSU—Langford 15 run (Geiger kick), 8:20.

SECOND QUARTER Minn—FG Hawthorne 21, 3:49.

THIRD QUARTER MSU—Price 12 pass from Cook (Geiger kick), 12:20.

A-71,418.

Minn MSU First downs 17 15 Rushes—yards 50-124 31-181 Passing 125 143 Comp—Att—Int 9-25-2 10-20-1 Return Yards 15 40 Punts—Avg. 5-47.2 6-41.8 Fumbles—Lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties—Yards 3-14 2-15 Time of Possession 38:41 21:19 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Minnesota, Cobb 27-101, M.Williams 1-7, Nelson 4-7, Kirkwood 7-7, D.Jones 2-2, Mi.Leidner 8-2, Team 1-(minus 2).

Michigan St., Langford 21-134, Burbridge 1-35, Hill 4-23, D.Williams 1-6, Shelton 1-4, Cook 3-(minus 21).

PASSING-Minnesota, Nelson 6-18-2-77, Mi.Leidner 3-7-0-48. Michigan St., Cook 10-20-1-143.

RECEIVING-Minnesota, Wolitarsky 3-56, D.Jones 3-47, M.Williams 1-11, Fruechte 1-9, Henry 1-2.

Michigan St., Lippett 4-71, Burbridge 2-12, Kings 1-24, Fowler 1-15, Price 1-12, Langford 1-9.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK

We asked earlier this week: “How can Michigan State maintain momentum?”

The Spartans came out throwing against the Gophers and jumped to a 7-0 lead. MSU stayed aggressive but was stopped on a fourth-and-1 at the Minnesota 29 and had an interception deep in Gophers’ territory late in the half. MSU threw on six of its eight plays on their TD drive to open the second half.

Penn State hangs on, upsets No. 14 Wisconsin The Associated Press

Christian Hackenberg threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns, and Penn State pounced on a slew of blunders before holding off a late rally to upset No. 14 Wisconsin 31-24 on Saturday in Madison.

Hackenberg, a freshman, showed the poise of a veteran in dissecting a tough defense.

Eugene Lewis caught two touchdowns, including a 59-yarder for a 17-point lead with 13 minutes to go.

The Nittany Lions (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten) secured a statement win against a team that had been dominant all year at home. Joel Stave threw for three touchdowns for Wisconsin (9-3, 6-2), though Penn State capitalized on second-half interceptions, turning one into Lewis’ long TD. The Badgers got within a touchdown late, but were picked off in the end zone with 1 second left.

all season. Northwestern’s 560 total yards made it the fifth team to top 500 yards against Illinois (4-8, 1-7).

Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase was 31-45 for 307 yards and two touchdowns in his last game at Illinois. His one interception was a game-changer.

Trailing 30-27 early in the fourth quarter, Tyler Scott picked off Scheelhaase at the Wildcat 47. Northwestern quickly scored the decisive touchdown on a 7-yard pass from Siemian to Jones.

INDIANA 56, PURDUE 36

Tre Roberson threw a career-high six touchdown passes, three to Shane Wynn, and the Hoosiers recaptured the Old Oaken Bucket on Saturday for the first time in three years.

The Hoosiers (5-7, 3-5) finished the season the same way they started — with a record-setting performance against an in-state foe. They produced their highest point NORTHWESTERN 37, total in the 116-game series ILLINOIS 34 and won by 20 or more points for only the seventh Northwestern quartertime in series history. Plus, back Trevor Siemian threw for 414 yards and four touch- the Hoosiers broke the school record for points in a downs and Christian Jones caught 13 balls for 182 yards season (463) and extended and two touchdowns to lead the school’s single-season marks for total TDs (62) and the Wildcats past Illinois in TD passes (36). the finale for both teams.

Purdue (1-11, 0-8) has now Siemian was 31-44 and didn’t throw an interception. lost 10 straight, the second longest skid in school hisThe win ended a seventory. It lost 11 straight from game losing streak for 1906-08.

Northwestern (5-7, 1-7 Big Indiana took an early 14-0 Ten) edge, led 35-9 at halftime The Wildcats gashed an and never gave the Boilers a Illinois defense that has given up big yards and points chance to come back.

CMU is bowl eligible The Associated Press

At Mount Pleasant, Zurlon Tipton ran for four touchdowns on Friday to lead Central Michigan to a 42-10 victory over Eastern Michigan and become bowl eligible in the Mid-American Conference for the second straight season.

Tipton ran for 216 yards and scored back-to-back-toback touchdowns in the first half to jump the Chippewas (6-6, 5-3) to a 21-0 lead. His third touchdown was on an 86-yard run, and he finished

the half with 134 yards.

Eastern Michigan (2-10, 1-7) drove down the field for 85 yards in 55 seconds to score its first touchdown, making the score 21-10, before the end of the first half.

Central Michigan’s Courtney Williams ran back the opening kickoff of the second half for an 84-yard touchdown.

Another TD run by Tipton and Avery Cunningham’s 75-yard interception for a touchdown concluded Central Michigan’s scoring.

MSU toughs out victory

By Mike Griffith

mgriffith@mlive.com

EAST LANSING — Michigan State completed a perfect Big Ten regular season with a 14-3 win over Minnesota on Saturday, capping a conference season that saw the 11th-ranked Spartans beat every league opponent by 10 points or more.

Minnesota (8-4, 4-4) gave Michigan State all it wanted, making the Spartans’ 18 seniors earn their 40th class victory on Senior Day. Here’s a look at the team’s Stock Report STOCK UP

•Cornerback Trae Waynes came up with the first two interceptions of his career, both in the first half.

•Linebacker Denicos Allen led the way with 13 tackles, including a stop behind the line on Minnesota’s second-and-1 at the goal line.

•Tailback Jeremy Langford got it done again with his seventh 100-yard rushing performance, overcoming a shoulder stinger to get 134 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

•Receiver Aaron Burbridge had a nice 35-yard run and two grabs for 12

yards. Burbridge, one of the best in the Big Ten when he’s on his game, is coming on at the right time.

STOCK EVEN

•Defensive end Shilique Calhoun held his ground with seven tackles — three tackles for loss — and a forced fumble.

•Tony Lippett continues to earn the go-to throws, making four grabs for 71 yards including a one-handed, over-the-shoulder catch on the Spartans’ opening TD drive.

•Another game, another Mike Sadler punt inside the opponents’ 10-yard line.

STOCK DOWN

•QB Connor Cook will tell you it wasn’t his best day, as he was 10-of-20 passing for 143 yards and an interception. Cook made some nice throws, but he made a few he’d like to have back, too.

•Bennie Fowler had one catch for 15 yards, and a drop on a catch that would have gone for about 25 yards.

•The Spartans offensive line allowed Cook to get sacked twice and failed to generate a good push on a fourth-and-1, leading to Langford getting stopped at the Gophers 29-yard line.

C4 / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

TV SUNDAY

BASKETBALL Noon — Men’s College: Old Spice Classic, Fifth Place game. ESPNU 2 p.m. — Men’s College: Old Spice Classic, Consolation. ESPNU 2 p.m. — Men’s College: Fairleigh Dickinson at Seton Hall. Fox Sports 1 3:30 p.m. — NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons. FSD 4 p.m. — Men’s College: Oregon State at DePaul. Fox Sports 1 4:30 p.m. — Men’s College: DirecTV Wooden Legacy, Fifth Place. ESPNU 5:30 p.m. — Women’s College: Connecticut vs. Ohio State. ESPN2 6 p.m. — Men’s College: North Carolina at UAB. Fox Sports 1 6:30 p.m. — Men’s College: DirecTV Wooden Legacy, Consolation. ESPNU 7:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Old Spice Classic, Final. ESPN2 8:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Kentucky vs. Providence. Fox Sports 1 9:30 p.m. — Men’s College: DirecTV Wooden Legacy, Final. ESPN2

FOOTBALL 1 p.m. — NFL: New England Patriots at Houston Texans. CBS 1 p.m. — NFL: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings. Fox 4:25 p.m. — NFL: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs. CBS 8:20 p.m. — NFL: New York Giants at Washington. NBC

HOCKEY 5:30 p.m. — NHL: Detroit Red Wings at Ottawa Senators. Fox Sports Plus

SOCCER 7 a.m. — Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United. NBC Sports Network 9 a.m. — Hull City vs. Liverpool. NBC Sports Network 11 a.m. — Chelsea vs. Southampton.

NBC Sports Network MONDAY

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — Men’s College: Florida at Connecticut. ESPN2 7 p.m. — Men’s College: Auburn at Iowa State. ESPNU 9 p.m. — Men’s College: Vanderbilt at Texas. ESPN2 9 p.m. — Men’s College: Mercer at Oklahoma. ESPNU

FOOTBALL 8:25 p.m. — NFL: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks. ESPN

HOCKEY 7 p.m. — College: Michigan at Ohio State. FSD 8 p.m. — NHL: Philadelphia Flyers at Minnesota Wild. NBC Sports Network TUESDAY

BASKETBALL 7:15 p.m. — Men’s College: Indiana at Syracuse. ESPN 7:15 p.m. — Men’s College: Illinois at Georgia Tech. ESPN2 7:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Penn State at Pittsburgh. ESPNU 7:30 p.m. — NBA: Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat. FSD 9:15 p.m. — Men’s College: Michigan at Duke. ESPN 9:15 p.m. — Men’s College: Notre Dame at Iowa. ESPN2 9:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Florida State at Minnesota. ESPNU

HOCKEY 8 p.m. — NHL: Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks. NBC Sports Network SOCCER 3 p.m. — Crystal Palace vs. West Ham United. NBC Sports Network WEDNESDAY

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — Men’s College: Maryland at Ohio State. ESPN 7 p.m. — Men’s College: Wisconsin at Virginia. ESPN2 7:30 p.m. — Women’s College: Notre Dame at Penn State. Big Ten Network 7:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Northwestern at North Carolina St. ESPNU 8 p.m. — NBA: Detroit Pistons at Milwaukee Bucks. FSD 8 p.m. — Men’s College: Pennsylvania at Villanova. Fox Sports 1 9 p.m. — Men’s College: North Carolina at Michigan State. ESPN 9 p.m. — Men’s College: Boston College at Purdue. ESPN2 9:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Miami at Nebraska. ESPNU

HOCKEY 8 p.m. — NHL: Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings. NBC Sports Network

SOCCER 3 p.m. — Manchester United vs.

Everton. NBC Sports Network THURSDAY

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — Women’s College: Syracuse at Iowa. Big Ten Network 7 p.m. — Men’s College: West Virginia at Missouri. ESPN2 7 p.m. — Men’s College: Texas Christian at Mississippi State. ESPNU 7 p.m. — Men’s College: Long Island at Seton Hall. Fox Sports 1 7 p.m. — NBA: New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets. TNT 9 p.m. — Women’s College: Miami at Minnesota. Big Ten Network

Scoreboard 9 p.m. — Men’s College: Mississippi at Kansas State. ESPN2 9 p.m. — High School: Homeschool Christian Youth vs. Trinity (Texas).

ESPNU 9 p.m. — Men’s College: High Point at Georgetown. Fox Sports 1 9:30 p.m. — NBA: Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls. TNT

FOOTBALL 7:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Louisville at Cincinnati. ESPN 8:25 p.m. — NFL: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars. NFL Network

GOLF 4 a.m. — Nedbank Golf Challenge, First Round. Golf Channel 3 p.m. — Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, First Round. Golf Channel

HOCKEY 7 p.m. — College: United States Under-18 at Michigan. FSD FRIDAY

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — Men’s College: Arizona State at DePaul. Fox Sports 1 7:30 p.m. — NBA: Denver Nuggets at Boston Celtics. ESPN 9:30 p.m. — Men’s College: South Carolina at Oklahoma State. ESPNU 10 p.m. — Men’s College: Baylor vs.

Kentucky. ESPN

BOXING 11:50 p.m. — ShoBox: The New Generation. Showtime

FOOTBALL 8 p.m. — Mid-American Conference Championship, Northern Illinois vs.

Buffalo/Bowling Gr. ESPN2

GOLF 4 a.m. — Nedbank Golf Challenge, Second Round. Golf Channel 3 p.m. — Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, Second Round. Golf Channel

HOCKEY 7 p.m. — NHL: Detroit Red Wings at New Jersey Devils. FSD 7:30 p.m. — College: Massachusetts at Notre Dame. NBC Sports Network

SOCCER 5 p.m. — Women’s: NCAA College Cup, Semifinals. ESPNU SATURDAY

BASKETBALL 11 a.m. — Men’s College: La Salle vs.

Stony Brook. FSD Noon — Men’s College: Houston Baptist at Michigan. Big Ten Network Noon — Men’s College: Texas at Temple. ESPNU Noon — Men’s College: Colgate at Georgetown. Fox Sports 1 12:30 p.m. — Men’s College: UCLA at Missouri. CBS 2 p.m. — Men’s College: Long Beach State at North Carolina State. FSD 2 p.m. — Men’s College: Bowling Green at Xavier. Fox Sports 1 2:15 p.m. — Men’s College: Marquette at Wisconsin. Big Ten Network 3:15 p.m. — Men’s College: Kansas at Colorado. ESPN2 4 p.m. — Men’s College: Delaware at Notre Dame. FSD 4 p.m. — Men’s College: Florida Gulf Coast at Fla. Intern’l. Fox Sports 1 4:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Central Conn. St. at Ohio St. Big Ten Network 5 p.m. — Men’s College: Virginia at Green Bay. ESPNU 5:15 p.m. — Men’s College: UNLV at Arizona. ESPN2 6 p.m. — Men’s College: North Dakota at Butler. Fox Sports 1 7 p.m. — Men’s College: UNCGreensboro at North Carolina. ESPNU 7:30 p.m. — Men’s College: North Florida at Indiana. Big Ten Network 8 p.m. — NBA: Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls. FS, WGN 9 p.m. — Men’s College: Alabama at South Florida. ESPNU 11 p.m. — Men’s College: New Mexico State at Gonzaga. ESPNU

BOXING 8 p.m. — Zab Judah vs. Paulie Malignaggi. Showtime 9:45 p.m. — Joseph Agbeko vs.

Guillermo Rigondeaux. HBO

FOOTBALL Noon — College: Oklahoma at Oklahoma State. ABC Noon — College: UCF at Southern Methodist. ESPN 2 p.m. — SWAC Championship: Jackson St. vs. Southern. ESPNU 3:30 p.m. — College: Texas at Baylor. Fox 4 p.m. — College: SEC Championship. CBS 7:30 p.m. — College: South Florida at Rutgers. ESPN2 8 p.m. — Big Ten Championship: Michigan State vs. Ohio State. Fox 10 p.m. — Mountain West Championship: Teams TBA. CBS GOLF 4 a.m. — Nedbank Golf Challenge, Third Round. Golf Channel 1 p.m. — Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, Third Round. Golf Channel 3 p.m. — Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, Third Round. NBC

HOCKEY 6:30 p.m. — College: Massachusetts at Notre Dame. NBC Sports Network 7 p.m. — NHL: Detroit Red Wings vs.

Florida Panthers. FSD Plus

SOCCER 7:45 a.m. — Manchester U vs. Newcastle United. NBC Sports Network

HOCKEY

SPORTS CALENDAR

NHL

Atlantic Boston Tampa Bay Montreal Detroit Toronto Ottawa Florida Buffalo

EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts 27 18 7 2 38 26 16 9 1 33 27 15 9 3 33 27 13 7 7 33 27 14 10 3 31 26 10 12 4 24 27 7 15 5 19 28 6 20 2 14

Metropolitan Pittsburgh Washington N.Y. Rangers New Jersey Carolina Philadelphia Columbus N.Y. Islanders

GP 28 27 27 27 26 25 27 27

W 18 14 14 11 10 11 10 8

L OT 9 1 11 2 13 0 11 5 11 5 12 2 14 3 15 4

Pts 37 30 28 27 25 24 23 20

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central GP W L OT Pts Chicago 28 20 4 4 44 St. Louis 25 18 4 3 39 Colorado 24 18 6 0 36 Minnesota 26 15 7 4 34 Nashville 26 13 11 2 28 Winnipeg 28 12 12 4 28 Dallas 24 12 9 3 27 Pacific San Jose Anaheim Los Angeles Phoenix Vancouver Calgary Edmonton

GP 25 28 26 26 28 25 27

W L OT 17 3 5 18 7 3 16 6 4 15 7 4 13 10 5 8 13 4 8 17 2

Pts 39 39 36 34 31 20 18

GF GA 75 55 76 66 73 57 74 71 75 73 76 86 59 91 48 85 GF GA 86 64 82 78 60 66 59 64 55 75 54 61 67 80 72 93 GF GA 102 76 89 57 73 50 65 61 60 72 71 80 68 70 GF GA 88 57 88 73 69 56 85 84 74 75 68 92 70 91

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Thursday Vancouver 5, Ottawa 2 Edmonton 3, Nashville 0 Friday Philadelphia 2, Winnipeg 1 Boston 3, N.Y. Rangers 2 Detroit 5, N.Y. Islanders 0 Pittsburgh 3, Tampa Bay 0 Anaheim 5, Calgary 2 San Jose 6, St. Louis 3 Washington 3, Montreal 2, SO Colorado 3, Minnesota 1 New Jersey 5, Carolina 2 Columbus 4, Edmonton 2 Buffalo 3, Toronto 2, OT Chicago 2, Dallas 1, SO Saturday N.Y. Rangers 5, Vancouver 2 Washington 3, N.Y. Islanders 2, OT New Jersey 1, Buffalo 0, OT Boston 3, Columbus 1 Pittsburgh 5, Florida 1 Montreal 4, Toronto 2 Chicago 5, Phoenix 2 Philadelphia at Nashville, late Minnesota at Colorado, late Calgary at Los Angeles, late Anaheim at San Jose, late Today Vancouver at Carolina, 1 p.m.

Detroit at Ottawa, 5:30 p.m.

Edmonton at Dallas, 6 p.m.

Monday Winnipeg at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

St. Louis at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

1 0

3 — 0 —

1 — 2 —

5 0

1 6

THURSDAY 0 9

0 — 10 14 — 40

SECOND QUARTER Det—FG Akers 27, 14:51.

GB—FG Crosby 54, 12:41.

GB—Burnett 1 fumble return (Crosby kick), 12:33.

Det—Ross 5 pass from Stafford (Akers kick), 4:33.

Det—Bush 1 run (Akers kick), 1:22.

THIRD QUARTER Det—Johnson 20 pass from Stafford (Akers kick), 9:08.

Det—Suh safety, :53.

FOURTH QUARTER Det—Bell 1 run (Akers kick), 13:06.

Det—Ogletree 20 pass from Stafford (Akers kick), 4:17.

A—64,934.

GB Det First downs 7 30 Total Net Yards 126 561 Rushes-yards 15-24 43-241 Passing 102 320 Punt Returns 0-0 4-46 Kickoff Returns 2-41 3-70 Interceptions Ret. 2-0 1-1 Comp-Att-Int 10-20-1 22-35-2 Sacked-Yards Lost 7-37 1-10 Punts 6-47.8 1-33.0 Fumbles-Lost 2-2 2-2 Penalties-Yards 3-25 5-50 Time of Possession 19:34 40:26

THU

FRI

SAT

vs. Miami at Milwaukee 7:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

FSD FSD vs. Phila.

8 p.m.

NBCSN

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Green Bay, Lacy 10-16, Flynn 2-4, Starks 2-2, Kuhn 1-2. Detroit, Bush 20-117, Bell 19-94, Ross 1-24, Stafford 1-8, Hill 2-(minus 2).

PASSING—Green Bay, Flynn 10-20-1-139. Detroit, Stafford 22-35-2-330.

RECEIVING—Green Bay, J.Jones 3-79, Lacy 2-23, Nelson 2-14, Kuhn 1-8, R.Taylor 1-8, Quarless 1-7.

Detroit, Johnson 6-101, Bush 5-65, Durham 3-68, Bell 3-34, Dickerson 1-26, Ogletree 1-20, Pettigrew 1-6, Riddick 1-5, Ross 1-5.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—Detroit, Akers 31 (WR).

BASKETBALL

Atlantic

W

L

Pct

GB

Toronto Boston Philadelphia

6 7 6

9 11 11

.400 .389 .353

— ½ 1

Brooklyn New York

5 3

12 12

.294 .200

2 3

W 13 9 8 8

L 3 9 9 9

Pct .813 .500 .471 .471

GB — 5 5½ 5½

6 W

.375 Pct .938

GB

15

10 L 1

7 6 5 2

8 10 12 13

7

— .467 7 ½ 9 .375 .294 10 ½ .133 12 ½ GB

Southwest San Antonio

W 14

L 2

Pct .875

Houston Dallas

12

5

.706

— 2½

10 8 7

7

.588

4½

Memphis New Orleans

8 8

.500 .467

6 6½

Northwest Portland Oklahoma City

W

L

Pct

GB

13 11

3 3

.813 .786

— 1

Denver Minnesota

9 8

6 9

.600 .471

3½ 5½

Utah Pacific L.A. Clippers

2

15

W

L

.118 11 ½ Pct GB

12

5

.706

—

Phoenix Golden State

9 9

7 8

.563 .529

2½ 3

L.A. Lakers Sacramento

9 4

8 10

.529 .286

3 6½

Friday Charlotte 92, Milwaukee 76 San Antonio 109, Orlando 91 Miami 90, Toronto 83 Atlanta 88, Dallas 87 L.A. Lakers 106, Detroit 102 Boston 103, Cleveland 86 Houston 114, Brooklyn 95 Indiana 93, Washington 73 New Orleans 121, Philadelphia 105 Oklahoma City 113, Golden State 112, OT Phoenix 112, Utah 101 Denver 97, New York 95 L.A. Clippers 104, Sacramento 98 Saturday Washington 108, Atlanta 101 Cleveland 97, Chicago 95 Brooklyn 97, Memphis 88 Minnesota at Dallas, late Houston at San Antonio, late Utah at Phoenix, late Boston at Milwaukee, late Today Denver at Toronto, 1 p.m.

Indiana at L.A. Clippers, 3:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Detroit, 3:30 p.m.

Golden State at Sacramento, 6 p.m.

Charlotte at Miami, 6 p.m.

Minnesota at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Portland at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 p.m.

Monday Orlando at Washington, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Atlanta at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Houston at Utah, 9 p.m.

Indiana at Portland, 10 p.m.

LAKERS 106, PISTONS 102 FRIDAY

L.A. LAKERS (106) Johnson 9-11 3-4 27, Hill 1-1 0-0 2, Gasol 5-14 3-5 13, Blake 1-6 0-0 2, Meeks 3-8 4-4 10, Williams 7-13 0-0 20, Young 3-12 6-7 12, Farmar 5-11 1-3 13, Henry 1-3 1-3 3, Sacre 1-1 2-4 4. Totals 36-80 20-30 106.

DETROIT (102) Smith 4-16 0-4 8, Monroe 9-15 1-3 19, Drummond 5-10 3-4 13, Jennings 8-17 3-5 19, Caldwell—Pope 3-7 0-0 6, Stuckey 8-17 6-9 22, Singler 3-9 0-0 7, Harrellson 2-4 0-0 4, Siva 1-2 0-0 2, Villanueva 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 44-100 13-25 102.

31 32

25 23

21 32

29 — 106 15 — 102

3-Point Goals—L.A. Lakers 14-31 (Johnson 6-7, Williams 6-11, Farmar 2-5, Young 0-2, Meeks 0-2, Blake 0-4), Detroit 1-8 (Singler 1-3, Smith 0-1, Jennings 0-1, Villanueva 0-1, Caldwell—Pope 0-2).

Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—L.A. Lakers 52 (Gasol 12), Detroit 70 (Smith 19). Assists—L.A. Lakers 24 (Blake 10), Detroit 25 (Jennings 9). Total Fouls—L.A. Lakers 21, Detroit 22. Technicals—L.A. Lakers defensive three second, Stuckey. A-15,202 (22,076).

BULLS 99, PISTONS 79 WEDNESDAY

CHICAGO (99) Deng 11-17 4-4 27, Boozer 3-11 0-0 6, Noah 6-11 1-3 13, Hinrich 4-10 3-3 13, Snell 5-9 0-0 13, Gibson 11-13 1-2 23, Dunleavy 1-4 0-0 2, Teague 0-3 0-0 0, Mohammed 1-1 0-0 2, Murphy 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals 42-79 9-12 99.

DETROIT (79) Smith 6-12 0-4 13, Monroe 2-5 1-2 5, Drummond 5-10 0-2 10, Jennings 5-13 1-1 12, Caldwell-Pope 0-4 0-0 0, Singler 1-1 0-0 2, Stuckey 9-16 7-8 25, Harrellson 2-3 0-0 4, Bynum 1-7 0-0 2, Villanueva 0-1 0-0 0, Jerebko 1-3 0-0 2, Mitchell 0-0 0-2 0, Datome 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 34-77 9-19 79.

Chicago Detroit

at N. Jersey vs. Florida 7 p.m.

7 p.m.

FSD FSD+ vs. Houston Baptist noon BTN (BB)

vs. N.Carolina 9 p.m.

ESPN (BB)

MICHIGAN STATE

L.A. Lakers Detroit

at Chicago 8 p.m.

FSD, WGN

at Duke 9:15 p.m.

ESPN (BB)

MICHIGAN

WESTERN CONFERENCE

FOOTBALL

10 17

at Ottawa 5:30 p.m.

FSD+

Cleveland Milwaukee

LIONS 40, PACKERS 10 0 0

DETROIT RED WINGS

Chicago Detroit

First Period—1, Detroit, Abdelkader 3 (Franzen), 11:49. Penalties—B.Smith, Det (interference), 6:19; Franzen, Det (high-sticking), 9:38; Soderberg, Bos (interference), 12:54; Cleary, Det (tripping), 12:54; Boychuk, Bos (hooking), 14:42.

Second Period—2, Detroit, Tatar 3 (Lashoff, Andersson), 6:05. 3, Detroit, Zetterberg 11 (Nyquist, Kronwall), 8:47. 4, Detroit, Kronwall 3 (Franzen, Zetterberg), 10:01 (pp). Penalties—McQuaid, Bos (elbowing), 9:10; Marchand, Bos (high-sticking), 14:41.

Third Period—5, Detroit, D.Miller 2 (Andersson, Tatar), 8:38. 6, Detroit, Nyquist 3 (Franzen, Ericsson), 17:07. 7, Boston, Iginla 5 (Bartkowski, R.Smith), 17:35. Penalties—Zetterberg, Det (interference), 10:00; McQuaid, Bos (roughing), 13:33.

Shots on Goal—Boston 7-3-7—17. Detroit 11-89—28.

Power-play opportunities—Boston 0 of 3; Detroit 1 of 4.

Goalies—Boston, Rask 13-6-2 (28 shots-22 saves).

Detroit, Gustavsson 6-0-1 (17-16).

A—20,066 (20,066). T—2:23.

Referees—Dan O’Halloran, Frederick L’Ecuyer. Linesmen—Steve Barton, Steve Miller.

Green Bay Detroit

vs. Phila.

3:30 p.m.

FSD

Orlando Central Indiana

WEDNESDAY 0 3

DETROIT PISTONS

Charlotte Washington

RED WINGS 6, SABRES 1 0 1

WED

DETROIT Next game: LIONS Dec. 8 at Phila.

Southeast Miami Atlanta

First Period—1, Detroit, Helm 6 (Alfredsson, Smith), 7:09. Penalties—None.

Second Period—2, Detroit, Helm 7 (Cleary, Ericsson), 16:49 (sh). Penalties—New York bench, served

by Martinek (cross-checking), 2:57; Cizikas, NYI (interference), 14:06; Abdelkader, Det (interference), 16:03.

Third Period—3, Detroit, Alfredsson 5 (Smith), :12.

4, Detroit, Nyquist 4 (Franzen, Kronwall), 6:12.

5, Detroit, Alfredsson 6 (Kronwall, Helm), 16:13.

Penalties—None.

Shots on Goal—Detroit 9-9-12—30. N.Y. Islanders 12-7-10—29.

Power-play opportunities—Detroit 0 of 2; N.Y. Islanders 0 of 1.

Goalies—Detroit, Howard 6-7-6 (29 shots-29 saves). N.Y. Islanders, Poulin 3-10-0 (30-25).

A—14,826 (16,170). T—2:23. Referees—Eric Furlatt, Tom Kowal. Linesmen—Scott Cherrey, Tim Nowak.

Boston Detroit

TUE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

FRIDAY 1 0

MON

NBA

RED WINGS 5, ISLANDERS 0 Detroit N.Y. Islanders

SUN

25 29

26 24

25 15

23 — 99 11 — 79

3-Point Goals—Chicago 6-17 (Snell 3-5, Hinrich 2-7,

vs. Ohio St. 8:17 p.m.

Fox (FB)

Deng 1-2, Gibson 0-1, Dunleavy 0-2), Detroit 2-12 (Smith 1-4, Jennings 1-4, Villanueva 0-1, Harrellson 0-1, Stuckey 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds— Chicago 46 (Gibson 8), Detroit 47 (Drummond, Smith 11). Assists—Chicago 24 (Hinrich 7), Detroit 12 (Jennings 4). Total Fouls—Chicago 15, Detroit 19. Technicals—Chicago defensive three second.

A—14,228 (22,076).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NATIONWIDE SCORES

EAST Connecticut 28, Rutges 17 Maryland 41, NC State 21 Temple 41, Memphis 21 Syracuse 34, Boston College 31 Virginia Tech 16, Virginia 6 MIDWEST Indiana 56, Purdue 36 Iowa St. 52, W. Virginia 44 Kansas St. 31, Kansas 10 Michigan St. 14, Minnesota 3 Northwestern 37, Illinois 34 Ohio St. 42, Michigan 41 Penn St. 31, Wisconsin 24 SOUTH Auburn 34, Alabama 28 Duke 27, N. Carolina 25 Florida St. 37, Florida 7 Georgia 41, Georgia Tech 34 Mid. Tennessee 48, UTEP 17 Southern 40, Grambling St. 17 S. Alabama 38, Georgia St. 17 S. Carolina 31, Clemson 17 Southern Miss 62, UAB 27 Tennessee 27, Kentucky 14 UL-Monroe 31, Lou.-Lafayette 28 Vanderbilt 23, Wake Forest 21 W. Kentucky 34, Arkansas St. 31 SOUTHWEST Baylor 41, TCU 38 N. Texas 42, Tulsa 10 New Mexico St. 24, Idaho 16 Rice 17, Tulane 13 UTSA 30, Louisiana Tech 10 FAR WEST Colorado St. 58, Air Force 13 BYU 28, Nevada 23 Stanford 27, Notre Dame 20 Utah 24, Colorado 17 Utah St. 35, Wyoming 7 FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND Saturday New Hampshire 45, Lafayette 7 Furman 30, S. Carolina St. 20 Coastal Carolina 48, Bethune-Cookman 24 Tennessee St. 31, Butler 0 Fordham 37, Sacred Heart 27 Sam Houston St. 51, S. Utah 20 South Dakota State (8-4) at Northern Arizona (9-2), late Samford (8-4) at Jacksonville State (9-3), late SECOND ROUND Saturday, Dec. 7 Fordham (12-1) at Towson (10-2), 1 p.m.

Coastal Carolina (11-2) at Montana (10-2), 2 p.m.

New Hampshire (8-4) at Maine (10-2), 2 p.m.

Tennessee State (10-3) at Eastern Illinois (11-1), 2 p.m.

Furman (8-5) at North Dakota State (11-0), 3:30 p.m.

South Dakota State (9-4) at Eastern Washington (10-2), 4 p.m.

Samford-Jacksonville State at McNeese State (10-2), 7 p.m.

Southern Utah-Sam Houston State winner at Southeastern Louisiana (10-2), 8 p.m.

NCAA DIVISION II PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND Saturday Shepherd 7, Winston-Salem State 0 West Chester 40, Bloomsburg 38 Lenoir-Rhyne 27, Carson-Newman 20 North Alabama 37, North Carolina-Pembroke 13 West Texas A&M 34, Ohio Dominican 27 Northwest Missouri State 45, Minnesota-Duluth 21 St. Cloud St. 54, Minnesota State-Mankato 48 Grand Valley State 34, Colorado State-Pueblo 30 QUARTERFINALS Saturday, Dec. 7 Shepherd (11-0) vs. West Chester (12-1) Lenoir-Rhyne (11-1) vs. North Alabama (10-2) Northwest Missouri State (12-0) vs. St. Cloud State (12-1) West Texas A&M (11-2) vs. Grand Valley State (11-2) NCAA DIVISION III PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND Saturday Mount Union 56, Wittenberg 21 Wesley 23, Ithaca 15 St. John Fisher 27, Hobart 6 N. Central (Ill.) 52, Wisconsin-Platteville 24 Bethel (Minn.) 34, Wartburg 27 Wisconsin-Whitewater 33, Franklin 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor 59, Rowan 8 Linfield 31, Hampden-Sydney 21 QUARTERFINALS Saturday, Dec. 7 Wesley (10-2) at Mount Union (12-0), noon Bethel (Minn.) (12-0) at North Central (Ill.) (12-0), 1 p.m.

Wisconsin-Whitewater (12-0) vs. Linfield (11-0) St. John Fisher (10-2) vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor (12-0) NAIA PLAYOFFS QUARTERFINALS Saturday Carroll (Mont.) 27, Missouri Valley 3 Grand View (Iowa) 44, Tabor 24 Cumberlands (Ky.) 28, Saint Francis (Ind.) 14 Morningside 36, Baker 28 SEMIFINALS Saturday, Dec. 8 Cumberlands (Ky.) (12-0) Grand View (Iowa) (12-0) Carroll (Mont.) (12-1) Morningside (11-1)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NO. 1 MICHIGAN ST. 98, MOUNT ST. MARY’S 65

FRIDAY MOUNT ST. MARY’S (2-6) Danaher 3-7 0-0 6, Ashe 3-5 2-2 10, Prescott 3-9 0-0 7, Whack 3-12 3-4 10, Norfleet 4-15 2-2 13, McManimon 0-2 2-2 2, Miller 5-12 0-0 15, Lyle 1-2 0-0 2, Graves 0-2 0-0 0, Howard 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-67 9-10 65.

MICHIGAN ST. (7-0) Gauna 2-3 0-1 4, Costello 3-3 2-2 8, Ellis III 2-4 0-0 5, Trice 6-8 0-0 15, Valentine 7-11 0-0 15, Byrd 0-0 2-2 2, Payne 3-10 0-0 8, Appling 8-11 1-2 17, Bohnhoff 0-0 0-0 0, Wetzel 2-3 0-0 4, Dawson 3-3 0-0 6, Kaminski 3-4 0-0 8, Schilling 2-3 2-2 6,

Chapman 0-1 0-0 0, Wollenman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 41-65 7-9 98.

Halftime—Michigan St. 50-38. 3-Point Goals— Mount St. Mary’s 12-34 (Miller 5-12, Norfleet 3-6, Ashe 2-3, Prescott 1-5, Whack 1-6, McManimon 0-1, Graves 0-1), Michigan St. 9-18 (Trice 3-4, Kaminski 2-3, Payne 2-4, Ellis III 1-2, Valentine 1-3, Appling 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Mount St. Mary’s 31 (Prescott 7), Michigan St. 40 (Dawson 10). Assists—Mount St. Mary’s 11 (Norfleet 5), Michigan St. 28 (Valentine 7). Total Fouls—Mount St. Mary’s 14, Michigan St. 9. A—14,797.

NO. 22 MICHIGAN 87, COPPIN ST. 45 FRIDAY COPPIN ST. (2-3) Fripp 3-8 1-1 7, Smith 4-6 0-0 9, Armstrong 0-5 0-0 0, Cephas 4-8 1-1 10, Batts 0-0 0-0 0, Brickhouse 0-2 0-0 0, Gary 3-6 5-9 11, Burnham 0-1 1-2 1, Kessee 1-1 0-0 2, Murray 1-8 2-2 4, St. Louis 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 16-46 11-17 45.

MICHIGAN (5-2) Robinson III 5-11 2-2 14, McGary 2-5 2-2 6, Walton Jr. 3-8 0-1 7, LeVert 5-10 5-5 15, Morgan 3-5 0-0 6, Albrecht 1-4 0-0 2, Dakich 0-1 0-0 0, McConnell 1-1 0-0 3, Anlauf 1-1 0-0 2, Horford 2-2 2-2 6, Lonergan 0-1 2-2 2, Irvin 9-13 0-0 24, Bielfeldt 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals 32-62 13-14 87.

Halftime—Michigan 42-23. 3-Point Goals—Coppin St. 2-17 (Smith 1-2, Cephas 1-3, Fripp 0-1, Brickhouse 0-2, Armstrong 0-4, Murray 0-5), Michigan 10-29 (Irvin 6-10, Robinson III 2-6, McConnell 1-1, Walton Jr. 1-4, McGary 0-1, Lonergan 0-1, Albrecht 0-3, LeVert 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds— Coppin St. 19 (Murray, St. Louis 4), Michigan 44 (McGary 8). Assists—Coppin St. 6 (Cephas 5), Michigan 19 (Walton Jr. 7). Total Fouls—Coppin St. 14, Michigan 17. A—12,707.

MEN’S MAJOR SCORES EAST Boston U. 66, St. Peter’s 65 Buffalo 65, Delaware St. 55 Delaware 86, Robert Morris 67 Georgetown 70, Lipscomb 49 George Mason 61, Rhode Island 54 Manhattan 66, Hofstra 59 Pittsburgh 84, Duquesne 67 Princeton 66, Bucknell 53 St. John’s 69, Georgia Tech 58 MIDWEST Cleveland St. 78, Ball St. 55 C. Michigan 66, Jacksonville St. 61 Chicago St. 88, S. Illinois 84 Detroit 65, S. Florida 60 Drake 76, N. Arizona 56 Indiana St. 73, Pepperdine 70 Kansas 67, UTEP 63 Nebraska 63, N. Illinois 58 Oakland (Mich.) 86, Rochester 51 Ohio 81, Evansville 59 SE Missouri St. 102, Tulane 72 UW-Milwaukee 84, UMKC 79 SOUTH Arkansas St. 95, Lamar 89 Austin Peay 88, Youngstown St. 86 Davidson 86, Stetson 80 E. Tenn. St. 88, Marshall 78 FIU 61, Georgia St. 60 Mid. Tennessee 65, S. Alabama 55 NC State 75, E. Kentucky 56 Ole Miss 79, Penn St. 76 Tennessee 82, Wake Forest 63 SOUTHWEST New Mexico 73, San Diego 66 Houston 78, Texas A&M-CC 67 Houston Baptist 74, Army 72, OT SMU 55, Texas A&M 52 Texas St. 70, N. Kentukcy 61 FAR WEST Colorado 81, Air Force 57 Colorado St. 85, New Mexico St. 83 Idaho 80, UC Davis 76 Oregon 91, North Dakota 74 Pacific 73, Cal Poly 71 Southern Cal 84, Xavier 78 UNLV 85, UT Martin 55 Washington 92, Long Beach St. 89, 2OT

WOMEN’S MAJOR SCORES EAST Maryland 84, Ohio 60 Navy 75, Rider 64 Rutgers 61, Texas Tech 52 Seton Hall 64, Fresno St. 58 Syracuse 78, Texas A&M 63 Temple 81, Oakland 57 Virginia Tech 55, Presbyterian 33 W. Virginia 85, Youngstown St. 58 MIDWEST Ball St. 76, Tennessee Tech 64 C. Michigan 88, Xavier 62 Cleveland St. 63, IUPUI 56, OT Detroit 82, Georgia Southern 79 E. Michigan 120, Marygrove 35 Iowa 102, UNC-Wilmington 65 Marquette 72, Utah 65 Minnesota 79, Colorado St. 55 N. Illinois 79, Lamar 52 Penn St. 72, Illinois St. 60 SOUTH Alabama 69, CS Fullerton 54 Arkansas 72, Binghamton 23 Duke 73, Kansas 40 Georgia Tech 69, McNeese St. 60 Miami (Fla.) 74, Missouri 68 Mississippi St. 65, James Madison 52 Florida 73, Oregon St. 70 N. Carolina 87, Illinois 51 NC State 87, SE Louisiana 59 Ole Miss 89, Tulane 66 UCF 65, Howard 45 Vanderbilt 81, Wisconsin 69 SOUTHWEST Arizona St. 69, Arkansas St. 66 BYU 64, Arizona 56 Houston 54, Kent St. 44 New Mexico St. 72, UW-Milwaukee 58 Texas 65, Memphis 36 FAR WEST Gonzaga 81, Colgate 31 Hawaii 60, Chattanooga 55 Nevada 95, Wake Forest 87 Southern Cal 79, Boston College 52 UC Davis 71, Akron 58 UCLA 62, Grand Canyon 60 Utah St. 75, CS Northridge 67 Washington St. 76, Nebraska 72

SOCCER

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYOFFS CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP EASTERN CONFERENCE Leg 1 — Saturday, Nov 9: Sporting KC 0, Houston 0 Leg 2 — Saturday, Nov. 23: Sporting KC 2, Houston 1, Sporting KC advanced on 2-1 aggregate WESTERN CONFERENCE Leg 1 — Sunday, Nov. 10: Real Salt Lake 4, Portland 2 Leg 2 — Sunday, Nov. 24: Real Salt Lake 1, Portland 0, Real Salt Lake advanced on 5-2 aggregate MLS CUP Saturday, Dec. 7: Real Salt Lake at Sporting KC, 4 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS

FOOTBALL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE NFL — Fined Pittsburgh CB William Gay $15,750, New Orleans DE Cam Jordan $10,000 and Detroit DT Ndamukong Suh, N.Y. Jets DT Kenrick Ellis and Chicago G Kyle Long $7,875 for their actions during last week’s games.

GLANTZ-CULVER LINE

NFL

SUNDAY FAVORITE

at Indianapolis Denver at Cleveland at Carolina at Minnesota at Philadelphia at N.Y. Jets Buffalo-x at San Francisco New England at San Diego N.Y. Giants at Seattle x-at Toronto

OPEN

TODAY

O/U

UNDERDOG

4 3 ½ (45) Tennessee 3 ½ 5 ½ (49) at Kansas City 7 7 (40 ½) Jacksonville 8 ½ 7 ½ (41 ½) Tampa Bay +2 ½ 1 (49 ½) Chicago 3 3 (48 ½) Arizona 3 2 (40) Miami 3 ½ 3 ½ (47) Atlanta 7 ½ 7 ½ (41) St. Louis 7 7 ½ (47 ½) at Houston +1 ½ 1 (48 ½) Cincinnati +2 ½ 1 ½ (45 ½) at Washington MONDAY 4½ 5 (47) New Orleans

— The Associated Press; all times eastern

MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / C5

State Sports U-M BASKETBALL

Stauskas’ status for Duke unknown

By Brendan F. Quinn bquinn@mlive.com

New York Islanders goalie Kevin Poulin and teammate defenseman Andrew MacDonald recover after colliding on a goal by Detroit Red Wings center Darren Helm (43) on Friday. Red Wings left wing Tomas Tatar, left, stands with Helm. (AP)

RED WINGS

Helm’s speed thrills

By Ansar Khan

UPDATE Friday: Red Wings 5, Islanders 0 Next: Detroit at Ottawa When: 5:30 p.m. today TV: FSD-Plus

into an open net as his right knee collided with Poulin’s pad, sending him UNIONDALE, N.Y. — When Darren spinning and flying into the corner Helm shifts into high gear, few players in without his stick. MacDonald followed the NHL are faster. And his teammates by cartwheeling over Poulin. love seeing him race down the ice. “(Daniel) Cleary made sure the puck “It’s fun to watch, especially when pening for me.” got out. I just saw an opportunity to he gets that engine going,” goaltender The Red Wings (13-7-7) won their race down the puck,” Helm said. “I Jimmy Howard said. “He can be very third in a row, as Howard stopped didn’t really think the goalie was going impactful out there.”

29 shots for his second shutout this sea- to come out. Had it for a second, off my Helm always has made an impact son and 18th of his career. Alfredsson, stick, off my leg, did a couple somerchecking, killing penalties, playin his 1,200th game, had two goals and saults there and got my head up just in ing physical and grinding. Now, he’s an assist. time to see the puck go in the net.” become a scorer.

Gustav Nyquist scored his fourth Said Zetterberg: “It’s fun to see him Helm scored a pair of goals Friday goal in five games. Niklas Kronwall and skate like that.” afternoon, including a spectacular Brendan Smith each had two assists.

“Just having fun out there right now, shorthanded effort that’s sure to be The Red Wings got contributions playing with some good players, workplayed over and over on highlight reels, from many players, but Helm was the ing hard,” Helm said. “(Alfredsson) is a to spearhead the Detroit Red Wings’ 5-0 talk of the room. The erstwhile thirdgreat player, a great playmaker. (Justin victory over the New York Islanders at line center has seized the opportunity to Abdelkader) can make plays. He’s Nassau Coliseum. center the second line, with Alfredsson working hard, doing all the right things.

“Helm’s speed was the difference,” and Justin Abdelkader.

I think the three of us complement each linemate Daniel Alfredsson said. “With “It’s very impressive, being out that other well.” his speed, he’s allowing himself to gener- long and coming back and playing the Coach Mike Babcock has long ate scoring chances but also getting back way he is,” Kronwall said. “He’s really referred to Helm as the best third-line (on defense). He brings a lot to the table. taking advantage of playing in the two center in the league.

“I’m so happy for him, after hearing spot behind Hank (Zetterberg). He’s “When we lost him in the Nashville what he went through the last few years been flying, and not just skating — he’s series (in 2012, with severed tendons and being able to stay healthy.” making plays, and he’s solid in our own in his forearm in Game 1), and then we Helm has seven goals in 13 games, zone and creating things offensively. didn’t win that series, everyone didn’t after appearing in one game over the Right now, he’s all over the ice.” think our team was very good,” Babcock previous 19 months, due to a variety of Helm opened the scoring at 7:09 of said. “Well, that’s not the case. That’s injuries. the first period by faking a shot, cutting just how big a part he was of our team.

“I feel like I’m holding onto the puck a in front of the net and firing a backhand “Helmer’s never been a big scorer, little bit better, a little more poised than shot past Kevin Poulin. he’s always been a dominant player for I’ve been in the past,” Helm said. “That’s He made it 2-0 at 16:49 of the secus. We’ll take both. Confidence grows just with confidence. It does play a part ond period while killing a penalty. He as you play in the league and you trust when you see the puck go in; you can charged down the ice, beating Andrew yourself and understand what you can make some plays. Right now, it’s hapMacDonald to a loose puck and firing it do more.” akhan1@mlive.com

ANN ARBOR — Nik Stauskas emerged for pregame wamups Friday in shorts and a shooting shirt.

For a moment, it looked like a sprained ankle was behind him.

Instead, Michigan’s leading scorer sat idle for the next two hours. Stauskas watched his teammates roll to an 87-45 win over visiting Coppin State.

Immediately afterward, all attention shifted to Tuesday. Michigan will board a plane for Durham, N.C., on Monday. A date with No. 6 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium will come the following day.

Will Stauskas be ready for the Blue Devils?

“I don’t know,” Michigan coach John Beilein said Friday. “Until he’s practicing 100 percent, he won’t go in there. He’s got to be pretty close to 100 percent to go in there.”

Soon after that, though, Stauskas went to Twitter, saying, “Great win by our guys today. We are getting better! No worries, my ankle will be okay.”

Stauskas, who leads U-M

(J. Scott Park/MLive.com)

MSU BASKETBALL

Trice, Valentine shine in win

By Diamond Leung

Fourth-quarter decisions, personnel raise questions jump shot the next. It was Stuckey’s turn the next two possessions, and he missed a jumper and a contested layup. dmayo @mlive.com The Pistons finally went back to Jennings, and he broke a 12-0 Lakers run on a 17-foot jumper with 50 UBURN HILLS — In seconds left to make it 104Friday’s fourth quarter, 102, but the Pistons never Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks Detroit Pistons center regained the lead. put the ball in Rodney Stuckey’s Andre Drummond didn’t When asked, Jennings hands down the stretch. (AP) play. Point guard Brandon acknowledged he would like Jennings didn’t touch the ball the keys to run the offense on several late possessions. late in games. fourth-quarter rebounds Greg Monroe was on the floor, “Yeah, I mean, of course,” to 6-foot-2 Jordan Farmar, because the Pistons needed he said after a 19-point, ninewhen Drummond didn’t play. offense, then the offense assist game. “Not even just Drummond had 13 points and wasn’t run through him. trying to shoot the ball but 11 rebounds but went to the The Pistons lost 106-102 to just trying to make something bench after his fourth foul, the Los Angeles Lakers, and happen. But we’ve also got with 9:09 left in the third if head coach Maurice Cheeks another guy, Stuckey, who can quarter, never to return. weren’t still in something of a also make something happen, Cheeks said he didn’t use honeymoon phase, he might too. He’s way stronger than Drummond, because the have some explaining to do. me, so he can get in there and Lakers went small in the The Pistons scored 15 get fouls. But I kind of felt like fourth, and he thought the points in the fourth quarter I had it going ... in the fourth.” Pistons needed scoring punch. of their second blown game, In the final 16.7 seconds, But Monroe, who could the other being the overtime the Pistons missed three have provided that punch, loss at Memphis in the second opportunities to tie. Jennings attempted the same number game of the season. was fouled on a 3-pointer but of fourth-quarter shots as They ramrodded the offense made only one free throw, Drummond did from the through Rodney Stuckey on leaving the score 104-102 bench — zero — because the final possessions, with (the Pistons were 13-for-25 at plays weren’t run for him.

Brandon Jennings often actthe free-throw line). Stuckey Cheeks acknowledged he ing as a spectator after a big missed a running bank shot could have used Drummond fourth quarter until then. from a difficult angle but the and that the second-year cenJennings had eight points Pistons got the ball back with ter “probably could’ve gotten on 4-of-6 shooting in the eight seconds left. a couple of those rebounds” fourth quarter when the The Pistons’ final threat which helped the Lakers to Pistons went away from him ended when Nick Young drew a 6-0 advantage in secondon four consecutive possesa charging foul against Josh chance points in the fourth. sions after his layup gave Smith with 2.7 seconds left.

One concept Cheeks has them a 99-91 lead.

The Pistons lost because followed rigidly thus far is Josh Smith nearly had a tri- of the Lakers’ 14-1 advantage that Stuckey is his closer. The ple-double but couldn’t make in 3-pointers made — a 42-3 veteran guard led the Pistons shots, and he missed a layup scoring differential. with 22 points. one possession, then a short They also gave up four But the offense once again

David Mayo

A

bogged down during several key late possessions with Stuckey isolated on the ball, as the hot-hand Jennings had the ball diverted.

“It wasn’t for Jennings to make a play,” Cheeks said of the final 15 seconds. “The ball was going in Stuckey’s hands.

We think he’s our best scorer.

So, we try to put the ball in his hands to score the ball. If there’s another option, yeah, it would be Brandon. But I thought, for the most part, we were trying to get the ball to Rodney, and he’s been successful for us as of late.”

Jennings took missing those late free throws hard.

“That’s what I live for,” he said. “I’m a guy that’s been known to knock them down, and to see two of them rattle in and out, that hurts.”

But he also said there was inconsistency in the Pistons’ defensive patterns.

“Guys were just confused down the stretch,” Jennings said. “We need to figure out — from the coaches, from us — we all need to figure out what we’re doing.”

The Pistons scored 76 points in the paint, most in the NBA this season. Yet, they lost.

“I think we rope-a-doped today,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “They got so tired of beating us up in there that they got tired.”

UPDATE Friday: Lakers 106, Pistons 102 Next: Detroit at Philadelphia When: 3:30 p.m. today TV: FSD

UPDATE Friday: U-M 87, Coppin St. 45 Next: No. 22 U-M at No. 6 Duke When: 9:15 p.m. Tuesday TV: ESPN

Travis Trice draws contact Friday against Mount St. Mary’s.

assists along with only one turnover after having spoken of embracing a team leaderEAST LANSING — ship role.

Michigan State point guard Valentine started as well Keith Appling has scored while Branden Dawson sat more points and dished out due to missing the same more assists while playing class as Appling, perhaps fewer minutes than last offering a glimpse of what season. the team could be next seaOne reason for the rise in efficiency has been the play of son.

“They did a great job of those around him and especially junior Travis Trice, who kind of keeping things going the right way for us until we has filled in capably when got in,” Appling said of Trice called upon. and Valentine.

“The minutes that he’s played, especially when I’ve HARRIS SHOULD BE READY been out of the game, he’s FOR NORTH CAROLINA picked it up well for us,” Michigan State sophomore Appling said Tuesday. “He’s guard Gary Harris is expectdone some of the things I ed to return to the starting haven’t done a good a job at.

So there really hasn’t been a lineup next week for a game against North Carolina, five drop-off when I come out of days after resting his ankle the game.

“Having him healthy, I feel against Mount St. Mary’s and sitting out the Spartans’ win. like that’s worked out well Izzo said Friday the right for me. My body feels a lot ankle his top scorer sprained better, and we’re winning.”

Three days later, Trice was in August which kept him from participating in fullstarting in place of Appling, contact practices for about six who was out of the lineup weeks needed more rest. Izzo due to an academics issue in noticed the ankle was affectMichigan State’s 98-65 win ing the play of Harris, who against Mount St. Mary’s. has struggled with his shot in And in Trice’s first career start, he scored 15 points and recent games.

“I don’t think he was gethad six assists in 21 minutes.

Appling came off the bench to ting as much lift, and he lead all scorers with 17 points. wasn’t shooting as good a percentage, so that’s what Coach Tom Izzo praised I started telling him,” Izzo Trice for a “great job,” as said. “He says he’s fine, but the 6-foot, 170-pounder was 6-for-8 from the field, 3-for-4 then he realized that maybe from 3-point range and com- he’s not quite getting the explosion off it, and so I just mitted only one turnover. A said take a few days, let it 42-percent 3-point shooter, simmer down.”

Trice has been able to bounce back from a sophomore year in which he batUPDATE tled multiple head injuries.

Friday: MSU 98, Mt. St. Mary’s Also standing out Friday was guard Denzel Valentine, 65. Next: No. 1 MSU at No. 16 a sophomore who had career North Carolina When: 9 p.m.

Wednesday TV: ESPN highs of 15 points and seven dleung@mlive.com

PISTONS

averaging 20.3 points per game, injured his ankle midway though the second half of Michigan’s 63-61 loss to Charlotte in last Sunday’s Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship game. He remained in that game after sustaining the injury.

Stauskas averaged 23.3 points per game on 20-for39 shooting, including eight made 3-pointers, in 39.3 minutes per game during Michigan’s three-game stay in Puerto Rico.

Following the loss to Charlotte, Stauskas said, “It was definitely difficult just to move around and make cuts — pretty much to put pressure on it — so it kind of limited me.”

Beilein said Friday that Stauskas “wasn’t able to practice at all” since Michigan returned from Puerto Rico.

Zak Irvin stepped up in Stauskas’ absence Friday, scoring a career-high 24 points.

C6 / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Lions&NFL

It’s not a slam dunk (yet)

Kyle Meinke

By Jon Krawczynski

D

ETROIT — The Detroit Lions continue to play their best football when their back is against the wall, and you have to admire their resolve. They’re not afraid, even when there’s no margin for error.

But what about when there is margin for error? When there are expectations?

Calvin Johnson goes up to dunk the football after his 20-yard touchdown on Thanksgiving. (AP)

— yet led just 17-10.

That’s because they turned over the ball on three of their first four drives, settled for a field goal on the other and later missed a short field goal. Reggie Bush fumbled the ball, just seven days after promising not to do that again this year, and Matthew Stafford threw two picks just three days after professing ball security.

“We dug ourselves a hole again,” center Dominic Raiola said. “We heard the boos — heard all that, understandably. The (crowd) didn’t want to see that again. I just told the guys in the huddle, ‘Let’s tighten up. Let’s just draw closer together. All we got is the 11 guys on this field.

Defense was busting their (butts). Let’s pull it together and get the offense rolling.’”

They did, rolling through the gaffes to score 37 unanswered points. Stafford bounced back from his rough start to throw touchdown passes to Calvin Johnson (20

yards), Jeremy Ross (5) and Kevin Ogletree (20).

Joique Bell and Bush each scored touchdowns and combined for 310 yards of offense, the pairing’s best game to date. Detroit gained 561 yards overall, while holding Green Bay to 126, the fewest yards it has allowed since 1992. The defensive line showed particular maturity, using comments of scumbaggery as fuel to dismantle Green Bay without ever crossing the line.

They have embraced their bad-boy image, going so far as to take the field together during pregame introductions in a show of solidarity.

Detroit, in other words, played well with its back against the wall.

“We answered the call,” Bush said. “Our backs were against the wall, with the division and the race for first place, and everything was right there in front of us. We answered the call. That’s the biggest thing.

“I am impressed with the

way we handled it. We handled the pressure well. We handled the situations and fought through adversity.”

They did, in convincing fashion, and get all the credit in the world for it. But it’s what they do next that has tripped them up in the past, and why long-term excitement should be tempered.

Detroit simply hasn’t proven it can be trusted to maintain the kind of performance it delivered against Green Bay. Especially when it’s expected to deliver that kind of performance.

The Lions showed more glimpses of what they’re capable of, and it’s seductive.

But it’s what they do next, as they transition back to division favorite, that will be far more telling.

NEXT GAME What: Detroit (7-5) at Philadelphia (6-5) When: 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 TV: Fox

Three things we learned about the Lions

By Kyle Meinke

kmeinke@mlive.com

DETROIT — Calvin Johnson’s impact on the Detroit Lions’ offense should go without saying at this point.

But here’s something to say: Detroit gained just 286 yards and scored nine points — no touchdowns — without Johnson against Green Bay last month. With him Thursday, Detroit gained 561 yards and scored 40 points.

There were other variables, to be sure — Matt Flynn playing for Aaron Rodgers, above any other — but still, it’s just more reinforcement of Megatron’s overall impact on a game even when the ball isn’t in his hands.

(And he still managed six catches for 101 yards.)

Anyway, here are three non-Calvin related nuggets we learned from Detroit’s 40-10 domination of Green Bay:

ers Lance Briggs and D.J. Williams and cornerback MINNEAPOLIS — The last Charles Tillman proving time the Minnesota Vikings costly, the Bears have allowed played the Chicago Bears, they an NFL-worst average of 145.2 were well on their way to an yards rushing per game. important division victory on The Vikings rushed for the road.

232 yards last week against Until, that is, Jay Cutler, the Packers, with a less-thanruined their day. The Vikings 100-percent Adrian Peterson led by six points with 3:15 getting backup help from to play at Soldier Field on Toby Gerhart.

Sept. 15. Then Cutler drove QB SHUFFLE SLOWS the Bears 66 yards, finishing the drive with a 16-yard For the first time in a long touchdown pass to Martellus time, the Vikings don’t have Bennett with 10 seconds to questions at quarterback. win it.

They’ve started Christian Cutler will not play in Ponder, Matt Cassel and Josh the rematch today at the Freeman this season, a dizzyMetrodome because of a high ing quarterback carousel that left ankle sprain. A reason for finally seems to be slowing. the Vikings to celebrate? Well, Ponder will start his sixth they don’t exactly have fond straight game after he commemories of facing backup pleted 21 of 30 passes for quarterback Josh McCown, 233 yards and a touchdown either. against the Packers.

Back in 2003, McCown “The biggest thing for me was making his third career is we’ve got to win games,” start for the lowly Arizona Ponder said. “I’ve got to be Cardinals in the season finale. able to be the guy that’s The 9-6 Vikings needed a win behind center that leads this over the 3-12 Cards to clinch team to victory.” the NFC North.

HARD TIMES The Vikings led 17-12 as the final seconds ticked The Vikings are having down and the Cardinals factheir fair share of troubles off ing a fourth-and-24 from the the field as well, with three Minnesota 28. McCown threw arrests in three weeks. It was the final pass of the game — of revealed this week that lineArizona’s season — into the backer Erin Henderson was corner of the end zone, and arrested for DWI and possesNate Poole was there to haul it sion of a controlled substance in for an 18-17 victory. last week, and cornerback “No! Noooo!” Vikings radio A.J. Jefferson was released play-by-play man Paul Allen Monday after he was arrested yelled into the microphone for fighting with his girlfriend. in a call that still holds a Wideout Jerome Simpson was prominent place in this torarrested on Nov. 9 for DWI. tured franchise’s lore. “The General Manager Rick Cardinals have knocked the Spielman issued a statement Vikings out of the playoffs!” calling the arrests “unacceptSo, forgive the Vikings able and disappointing.”

(2-8-1) if they aren’t doing cartTIME TO SHINE wheels knowing that Cutler will sit. But McCown doesn’t Henderson missed last think the Minnesota defense week’s game because of will be too focused on him. personal reasons, and coach “I don’t think they adjust to Leslie Frazier declined to me as much as they adjust to discuss whether it was related our receivers,” McCown said. to his arrest. That opened the McCown has been solid door for Audie Cole, a former for the Bears (6-5) in Cutler’s seventh-round draft pick who place, and they’re going had 13 tackles and a sack to need him again against against the Packers.

Minnesota’s struggling “I was telling one of our defense to stay near the top of coaches last week when they the muddled North. were asking how I feel or if Here are four things to I was nervous and stuff, and watch when the Bears and personally when I get nervous Vikings play today: about playing football is when I’m not prepared, and I’m not POUNDED ON THE GROUND sure if I know what I’m going Stout, menacing defense to do,” Cole said. has long been a hallmark for the Bears, but injuries and aging have precipitated NFL ON TV a rapid demise this season.

What: Chicago at Minnesota In three of their five losses When: 1 p.m. TV: Fox they’ve allowed 40-plus What: New England at Houston points, including last week When: 1 p.m. TV: CBS at St. Louis. Only three other What: Denver at Kansas City teams, Minnesota among When: 4:25 p.m. TV: CBS them, have given up more What: N.Y. Giants at Washington than Chicago’s average of 28.1 When: 8:20 p.m. TV: NBC points per game.

What: New Orleans at Seattle With the absences of tackle When: 8:25 p.m. Monday TV: Henry Melton, linebackESPN The Associated Press

kmeinke @mlive.com

That’s the unsolved question — something that can’t be answered in a 40-10 drubbing of Green Bay — and is what will determine just how much this team achieves.

The Lions, facing a mustwin scenario after consecutive losses, overwhelmed the Packers (5-6-1) in a game they had to have to maintain their division lead. That delights the hometown fans, who saw a winner on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2003.

But you don’t learn a whole lot from the game, either.

Detroit, after all, has thrived in this position before.

Dealing with the forthcoming expectations is what has proved problematic.

The Lions were 6-3 just a few weeks back, remember, and could have commanded a near-insurmountable division lead today had they taken care of business. Could have been in play for a firstround bye.

So, if a team is so talented (it is), and if it’s division is so wide open (it definitely is), the question is: Why were they facing a must-win in Week 12 while facing the NFL’s easiest schedule?

Because the Lions play with expectations like they’ve got sand in their cleats.

They ceded fourth-quarter leads each of the previous two weeks — against teams that combined for a 5-14 record — and were in danger of sinking back to a .500 team. They brought it on themselves, too, with an ill-advised fake field goal, blocked punt and a huge spike in turnovers.

That’s the biggest thing holding back Detroit. Itself.

The Lions showed a bit of that Thursday, obliterating Green Bay in every way but the scoreboard early. They nearly had eight times the offense at halftime — they had gained 297 more yards

Either way, Bears QB is a Vikings nightmare

Larry Warford is the fourthbest guard in the NFL, according to ProFootballFocus. (Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

1

Detroit has rookie of the year candidates on both sides of the ball.

Guard Larry Warford has been at it all season, playing all 883 offensive snaps for Detroit, and ranking among the best guards in football. He’s the fourth-best guard overall, according to ProFootballFocus, and the

best right guard in the NFC. Forget rookie of the year — he could be a Pro Bowler.

Joining him is fellow rookie Ezekiel Ansah, who has erupted for four sacks in his past two games and now has seven overall, most among all rookies. Neither seems likely to actually win the award — Warford has the stronger shot — but they’re both in the conversation.

Darius Slay might contribute this year after all.

The rookie corner finally showed glimmers of why Detroit selected him in the second round of April’s draft. He allowed only three completions his way, and the only real damage was done on Green Bay’s final — and meaningless — drive. Slay was otherwise stout, leading Detroit with three passes defended. He faced Matt Flynn, sure, but even lesserthans like Christian Ponder

2

and Carson Palmer were tearing him up earlier this year. This offers a glimmer of hope that Slay, once seemingly a long-term project, still could contribute in the stretch run this year. If nothing more, it was a boost to his confidence, and that can go a long way for a young player.

Detroit’s turnover issues are becoming an epidemic.

It now has 17 in the past 19 quarters, after committing eight in the first 29.

Players talked this week about re-emphasizing ball security, then committed three turnovers on their first four drives and finished with four for the game. Matthew Stafford now has six interceptions in the past two weeks, after throwing eight in the first 10 weeks.

He had thrown multiple picks just once in those first 10 games, but has done it both of the past two weeks.

3

NFL STANDINGS AMERICAN CONFERENCE East

W

L

T

Pct

PF

PA

New England

8

3

0 .727 288 230

N.Y. Jets

5

6

Miami

5

6

Buffalo South

4 W

7 L

East

NATIONAL CONFERENCE W L T Pct PF

PA

Dallas

7

5

0 .583 329 303

0 .455 186 287

Philadelphia

6

5

0 .545 276 260

0 .455 229 245

N.Y. Giants

4

7

0 .364 213 280

0 .364 236 273 T Pct PF PA

Washington South

3 W

8 L

0 .273 252 338 T Pct PF PA

Indianapolis

7

4

0 .636 263 260

New Orleans

9

2

0 .818 305 196

Tennessee

5

6

0 .455 250 245

Carolina

8

3

0 .727 258 151

Jacksonville

2

9

0 .182 142 324

Tampa Bay

3

8

0 .273 211 258

Houston North

2 W

9 L

0 .182 199 289 T Pct PF PA

Atlanta North

2 W

9 L

0 .182 227 309 T Pct PF PA

Cincinnati

7

4

0 .636 275 206

Detroit

7

5

0 .583 326 287

Baltimore

6

6

0 .500 249 235

Chicago

6

5

0 .545 303 309

Pittsburgh

5

7

0 .417 263 278

Green Bay

5

6

1 .458 294 305

Cleveland West

4 W

7 L

0 .364 203 265 T Pct PF PA

Minnesota West

2 W

8 L

1 .227 266 346 T Pct PF PA

Denver

9

2

0 .818 429 289

Seattle

10

1

0 .909 306 179

Kansas City

9

2

0 .818 270 179

Arizona

7

4

0 .636 254 223

San Diego

5

6

0 .455 269 260

San Francisco

7

4

0 .636 274 184

4

8

0 .333 237 300

St. Louis

5

6

0 .455 266 255

Oakland

WEEK 13 Thursday Detroit 40, Green Bay 10 Dallas 31, Oakland 24 Baltimore 22, Pittsburgh 20 Today Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m.

New England at Houston, 1 p.m.

Tennessee at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

Jacksonville at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Carolina, 1 p.m.

Arizona at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

Miami at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.

Atlanta vs. Buffalo at Toronto, 4:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at San Diego, 4:25 p.m.

Denver at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.

N.Y. Giants at Washington, 8:30 p.m.

Monday New Orleans at Seattle, 8:40 p.m.

WEEK 14 Thursday, Dec. 5 Houston at Jacksonville, 8:25 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 8 Atlanta at Green Bay, 1 p.m.

Minnesota at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

Kansas City at Washington, 1 p.m.

Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Miami at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

Detroit at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

Indianapolis at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

Cleveland at New England, 1 p.m.

Oakland at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.

Tennessee at Denver, 4:05 p.m.

Seattle at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.

N.Y. Giants at San Diego, 4:25 p.m.

St. Louis at Arizona, 4:25 p.m.

Carolina at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 9 Dallas at Chicago, 8:40 p.m.

MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / C7

NFL Moreno has made the most of second chance

By Arnie Stapleton

Ronnie Hillman, the Broncos were unable to run out the ENGLEWOOD, Colo. clock in the fourth quarter — During his two-month and lost to the Ravens in banishment for fumbling, double overtime.

Knowshon Moreno promThey went out and drafted ised himself if he ever got Montee Ball, the bruising another shot, he’d let neither Badger who set the NCAA the opportunity nor the foot- record with 83 touchdowns ball slip through his fingers at Wisconsin, and Hillman again. bulked up to 195 pounds. The He’s had 389 touches since two of them battled in trainthat fateful fumble in Atlanta ing camp but made enough in Week 2 last year and he’s mistakes for Moreno, who is gotten up with the football in better at picking up the blitz his hands all 389 times. and holding onto the football, “I just think it’s that to win the job. important to him, this team, His coaches take no credit this game,” Denver running for his turnaround. backs coach Eric Studesville “I wish I could say it was said. “He plays this game in something that we did a way that I absolutely love or drills. It wasn’t that,” because it’s every bit of who Studesville said. “This has he is, and he gives you every been a credit to him as a bit of what he has.” young man to have gone It’s a lesson his three through such adversity, young backups are learning people saying things about themselves as they try to put you, whether you’re not fumbling issues aside so they playing, inactive. And yet, he can take the load off Moreno stayed focused. He came to and help the Broncos (9-2) work every day, never combalance out their high-powplained, was never an issue, ered offense. was never negative and had Moreno’s ball security was the patience and the mental never more pronounced than toughness to stay the course last Sunday night at frigid and eliminate all the outside New England, where the noise.” football looked like a frozen Moreno said not a day goes turkey in everyone’s hands by that he doesn’t ponder but his. ball security, and, therefore, Moreno set career highs job security. with 37 carries for 224 “In the NFL, holding onto yards before leaving Gillette the ball is your livelihood,” Stadium in a walking boot he said. “All you can do is after bruising his right block it all out and on that ankle on his longest run, an one play just make sure you 18-yarder in overtime. get up with the ball in your “It’s a shame we lost that hands.” game because that was one Once a cautionary tale, of the better performances Moreno is now a model runI’ve seen by a running back,” ning back, one all the others offensive coordinator Adam on Denver’s roster are trying Gase said. to emulate.

Moreno, who ditched Hillman was benched a the boot and crutches by month ago for fumbling. Ball, midweek, looked sharp and who fumbled just twice in smooth at practice late in the 983 touches in college, has week. He said he’s ready to three fumbles in 83 touches start in Sunday’s showdown in the pros, including one at Kansas City between 9-2 that sparked New England’s teams vying for first place in comeback, after which he the AFC West. didn’t see another snap from “My body feels really scrimmage. good,” Moreno said Friday, Instead, it was undrafted showing no lingering effects rookie C.J. Anderson giving of his heavy workload aside Moreno breathers, but he, from the bright red scrapes too, had a critical fumble on on his elbows. an exchange in overtime. He Finally living up to his sta- recovered it himself, but that tus as a first-round pick out miscue helped kill a drive 5 of Georgia in 2009, Moreno yards short of Matt Prater’s is a leading contender for range for a winning field goal Comeback Player of the attempt.

Year. He leads the AFC with Asked what they’ve a career-high nine TD runs learned from Moreno, all and his 824 yards rushing three backups answered are second in the conference “overcoming adversity” — to Jamaal Charles’ 918. something they’re all trying Moreno emerged from to do themselves now. coach John Fox’s doghouse “We have no other this time a year ago only options,” Gase said. “I mean, because of Willis McGahee’s nobody is coming through season-ending knee injury. that door. At some point one He rushed for 510 yards and of these three guys, these three TDs down the stretch, young guys, they have to step then caught a touchdown up. We have to be able to not pass early in the playoff have ‘Know’ go 37 carries a game against Baltimore game. So one of these guys before an injury to his right has to step up and hold on to knee proved costly. the ball.”

Behind undersized rookie Just like Moreno.

The Associated Press

From left, Green Bay Packers’ Scott Tolzien (16) sits with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, center, and Matt Flynn, right, on the bench during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday. (AP)

McCarthy: Packers must win out

By Todd McMahon

games left — a whole quarter of the season. We’ve got to finish strong. We’ll take GREEN BAY, Wis. — Still trying to some time to reflect on this loss and get make sense of one of the toughest lossaway for a few days and come back and es in his successful tenure as Green Bay have an Atlanta team at home.”

Packers coach, Mike McCarthy made Green Bay doesn’t play again until it it clear what his struggling team must hosts the last-place Falcons on Dec. 8, accomplish. but McCarthy isn’t sure if Rodgers will Speaking Friday morning, a day after resume playing then. The star quarterthe Packers were embarrassed 40-10 by back has missed the last four games the Detroit Lions, McCarthy feels the because of a broken left collarbone.

Packers must win their remaining four Rodgers was cleared to practice on a games. limited basis earlier this week and did “I would think so, yes,” McCarthy some throwing on the field Tuesday and said.

Wednesday.

Even that might not be enough to get When asked Friday whether Rodgers the two-time NFC North champions has a chance to play against Atlanta, back in the playoffs. Winless in its last McCarthy replied, “I don’t know that.” five games (0-4-1), Green Bay is in a “I just know when we came off the big bind going into the final month of field Wednesday that he wasn’t ready to the regular season. The Packers have play yet,” McCarthy added. “So, we’ll see tumbled from the top of the division to how the testing goes. But it needs to be third place with a 5-6-1 record. the right thing. I know he wants to play, Not only is Green Bay trailing NFC I know he’s trying to gear up each and North leader Detroit (7-5) by 1 1/2 every week to play, but we’ll see what games, the Packers have never reached happens next week.” the playoffs with a sub-.500 record after Feeling the sting of the Packers’ most 12 games since the NFL expanded the lopsided loss since they fell 35-0 at home schedule to 16 games in 1978. against New England in McCarthy’s first McCarthy didn’t downplay the preseason as coach in 2006, at least one dicament facing his team. frustrated player commented on how “Oh, we’re in a hole,” he said. “We felt much Rodgers has been missed. like we were in the hole going into the Green Bay didn’t have a victory in its Detroit game. We’ve got two division five November games after Rodgers losses and a tie. That’s not where you went out after the first series of the loss want to be.” to Chicago on Nov. 4. The last time the The Packers are in danger of missing Packers were winless in a full month of the postseason for the first time since games was December 1990, when they 2008, when they had a five-game losing went 0-5. skid late in the season and finished 6-10.

“It definitely made things a lot more That was Aaron Rodgers’ first year as difficult without Aaron,” left guard Josh the team’s leader on offense.

Sitton said Thursday. “I think we all “It’s pretty hard to get any lower than know that. There’s no denying that. You right now after a terrible loss on national can’t say, ‘Hey, we can go and play just television, but we have to keep going,” as good without Aaron.’ We haven’t won linebacker Clay Matthews said after a game without him in five weeks. He’s Thursday’s game. “We still have four the best player on this team. Yeah, we The Associated Press

need him, but there’s a lot more going on than just that.”

Indeed, the Lions exposed the shortcomings for an injury-depleted Green Bay team in several areas.

“It was a very convincing win by the Lions,” McCarthy said.

The statistics reflected the one-sided outcome.

Detroit outgained the Packers 561126 in total yards and had possession of the ball for more than twice as long: 40 minutes, 26 seconds to the Packers’ 19:34.

The Lions also gashed Green Bay for 241 yards rushing four days after the Packers allowed a then-season-high 232 yards on the ground in their overtime tie against Minnesota.

Detroit accomplished all that despite turning over the ball four times. The Lions scored 37 unanswered points after a strip-sack by Nick Perry resulted in a short touchdown return by Morgan Burnett that put the Packers up 10-3 early in the second quarter.

McCarthy noted an estimated 20 missed tackles by Green Bay’s defense and coverage units on special teams.

“You get above 10 missed tackles in a game, that’s a long day,” McCarthy lamented.

A sputtering offense certainly added to the Packers’ holiday misery. Led by their formidable front line, the Lions sacked Matt Flynn seven times and held Green Bay to a season-low 24 yards rushing.

Flynn, the fourth starter at quarterback for Green Bay in the last five games, also had three turnovers.

“We got drilled by a very good football team that played very well,” McCarthy said. “So we’ll take that hard lesson, swallow, they’ll be accountable for it, and we’ll be ready to go when Atlanta comes in here.”

Brees and Wilson focus of Saints’ trip to Seattle

By Tim Booth

of many subplots: •The teams are facing SEATTLE — In two seasons, each other for the first time Russell Wilson has made win- since the 2010 NFC divisional ning in Seattle impenetrable playoffs, when the Seahawks for opposing teams. ended New Orleans’ reign as Since the day he became the Super Bowl champs with a Seattle Seahawks quarterback, surprising 41-36 upset capped Wilson has never lost on his

by Marshawn Lynch’s stunhome field. That’s 13 straight ning tackle-shedding TD run in the regular season. Going in the fourth quarter. back even further, Wilson •There’s the Seahawks hasn’t lost a home game since turmoil of the past week with Oct. 2, 2010 when he was at the four-game suspension of North Carolina State and the starting cornerback Walter Wolfpack lost to Virginia Tech. Thurmond for violation of It’s a streak of 23 games since the league’s substance-abuse Wilson has lost at home. policy, and the potential susThat string as Seahawks pension of injured cornerback quarterback will get tested Brandon Browner. this week by one of Wilson’s •And there’s the Saints idols, New Orleans quarterstill seeking a validating road back Drew Brees. victory after losing at New “There is no place like England and the New York home. Playing here is a speJets earlier in the season. cial moment,” Wilson said.

But the most intriguing “It is one of those things that aspect is a pair of quarteris a once in a lifetime thing backs working successfully to you have to make sure you go break long-held stereotypes to CenturyLink and watch a about the position they play: game. It really is something that they are too short. special.”

“I followed him a lot. I Monday night is a rousing watched him in his college late-season matchup between career and I remember my the top two teams in the NFC dad telling me I have to watch when the 9-2 Saints visit the this guy, this guy is awesome,” 10-1 Seahawks. It’s a marquee Wilson said. “ ... I know everyprime-time showcase that one compares our heights could be an NFC championand everything, the thing ship game preview and eventhat I admire about him is his tually might determine who leadership, attention to detail, earns home-field advantage in (and) competitive nature. the conference playoffs.

When Brees was slinging The home-field fight is one passes at Purdue, Wilson was The Associated Press

watching. When Brees was drafted by San Diego, Wilson was studying. And when Brees went to New Orleans and led the Saints to a Super Bowl title, Wilson was breaking down film.

Wilson often gets compared to Fran Tarkenton for his ability to scramble and keep plays alive. But if there is a player he emulates, it’s Brees. He was such a Brees fan, Wilson often wore a Saints hat around the Wisconsin campus.

“Listen, there’s plenty of things that that guy can do that I could never dream of doing athletically,” Brees said. “You watch the way he plays, you see the intensity and focus which he plays with, and he’s won a lot of big games in his early career thus far. I love what he has overcome throughout his career and kind of the road he has traveled. Like I said, I couldn’t have more respect for the guy.”

Despite his admiration, Wilson never got a chance to meet Brees until last year’s Pro Bowl, where there were long conversations. The elder QB passed on tips and suggestions on succeeding in the NFL as a shorter quarterback. It was time Wilson valued and was the beginning of a friendship.

“It wasn’t like we were sitting there comparing notes about being 6-foot and under,” Brees said. “I don’t know. We might’ve talked about just

the fact that you have to see through windows and anticipate. The other senses kind of have to be heightened. If you lack vision at times or whatever, you’ve got to be able to do other things to make up for that.”

They might share similar traits, but their roles within the respective offenses they lead are dramatically different. Brees is the engine, entering Monday’s game second in the league in yards passing and touchdown passes, trailing only Peyton Manning in those categories. He’s completed more passes (300) than Wilson has attempted (275).

Therein lies the biggest difference. While the Saints’ offensive success is largely determined by how well Brees plays, the Seahawks remain predicated on being able to run first. They ask Wilson to be the point guard for their offense. Brees has attempted at least 33 passes in every game this season; Wilson has attempted more than 30 passes seven times in his career.

Different styles, different quarterbacks, similar results.

“I think that our league is seeing very good production, very good play makers with different builds and different skill sets,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “I think it still gets back to that person that’s very driven, that’s very competitive (and) smart.”

Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno (27) celebrates his touchdown with Chris Clark (75) against the New England Patriots last Sunday. (AP)

C8 / SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Outdoors “It just happened that one year I had no (deer) tags left and decided to fish instead.”

WILL SCHULTZ, ABOUT HIS LONGTIME FALL MUSKIE FISHING TRADITION

Will Schultz holds a 47-inch muskie he caught on Campau Lake while fishing suckers as live bait. (Howard Meyerson/MLive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS

Muskie fishing: Outing brings in a big one 48 inches long, according to Schultz, who would land a 35-inch and 47-inch muskie this day. Three others would get away.

State records show the lake last was stocked howardmeyerson @gmail.com in 2009. State officials say stocking was discontinued because catch rates appeared to be poor.

“We may have to reconsider stocking hen Michigan’s firearm deer seait,” said Jay Wesley, the DNR’s southwest son opened last month and thouMichigan fisheries supervisor after hearing of sands of hunters took to the fields our outing. “When we did a creel census there with their rifles and shotguns, Will in 2005, it didn’t look good. Of 2,428 angler Schultz went out with a different trips, only 37 muskies were caught. By comquarry in mind. The Grand Rapids parison on Murray Lake just north, the creel sportsman planned to spend the day hunting survey showed that of 6,867 trips, 584 muskies instead for Michigan’s largest predator fish: were caught.” muskellunge.

Northern muskies were the backbone of “It’s been a tradition for a long time,” said Michigan’s muskie stocking program until Schultz, the founder and former president 2011 when the state switched to stocking Great of the Michigan Muskie Alliance, a nonprofit Lakes muskies, the strain more readily found organization dedicated to the restoration of in the big lakes and connecting waters.

Michigan’s muskellunge population. “I hunt On the lake this day, the fishing had started deer with a bow now, but used to hunt with a slowly. Schultz and I burned up breakfast gun. It just happened that one year I had no calories casting over-sized lures using heavytags left and decided to fish instead. action rods equipped with bait-casting reels “I fish for everything. You have to in order to and 80-pound test braided line. The water be a good angler, but this is what I spend the temperature was 39 degrees, cold enough to majority of my time doing.” keep things slow.

Schultz and I met up for a cold and windy But Schultz’s attention was piqued about an day of muskie fishing on Campau Lake, a 125hour after we arrived. That’s when he noticed acre Kent County water known for its stocked a 35-inch muskie following one of two 16-inch muskies. Its shoreline is largely developed. white suckers that were rigged as live bait.

But it is listed by the Michigan Department of Schultz fishes live bait in the fall when temNatural Resources as one of the better muskie peratures are cooler. He rigs one in close to waters in the state. the boat and allows the other to swim further Campau Lake is home to northern muskies, away. Its position is marked by a fist-sized a strain that grows and reproduces naturally float with “Bite Me” written on it. in western Upper Peninsula where spawning “I will see them come in and do that once in conditions are good and where they grow nat- a while,” said Schultz, who produces training urally. Other Michigan lakes require stocking videos for a living and operates a fishing guide and most have no natural reproduction. The service called Michigan Muskie Guide Service. spawning habitat isn’t there.

It can be found online at michiganmuskie.com.

Campau has muskies from 30 inches to “I will see them come up and sit there with

Howard Meyerson

W

Big lures are recommended when fishing for muskies.

a sucker for a half hour and have no interest in eating it. It is something to do. He will play with it.”

It was the live bait that did the trick this day.

Neither Schultz nor I got a bump for our hours of casting, but now and then the Bite Me float would drift away in earnest, or the line in close would start to shift causing the rod to tap the boat.

On one occasion, Schultz handed me the rod and offered some crucial advice. “Reel down get tension on the line and then set the hook like there is no tomorrow,” he said.

The log on the end barely moved. I set the hook again and the sucker came skyward.

“He was just mouthing it,” Schultz said with a smile.

My next opportunity proved only slightly

better. The big muskie came out of the water looking like Jaws before giving up the sucker and getting away.

Muskie fishing is challenging by all accounts. Popular lore characterizes them as “The Fish of 1,000 Casts.” But Schultz’s deft handling would put two in the boat without a single cast.

Schultz developed his interest in muskie fishing as a teenager on Gun Lake where he and his young buddies managed to catch their first. He returned home after that and got his mother to drive him to Bob’s Gun and Tackle, a Hastings dealer, where he bought all of the big lures he could find.

Growing up in Okemos, Schultz learned to fish from his father. The two continue to get fish together today, but now their focus is on the big dogs.

“He introduced me to fishing and I returned the favor and introduced him to muskies and ruined him,” Schultz noted humorously. “I still bass fish, but I really began to focus on muskies when I got married. I decided you can’t do everything. Then my son Tyler came along 12 years ago and I focused even more on them and introduced him to fishing.”

Schultz tries to introduce his son to different species every year, but he’s already become an accomplished muskie angler with a 45-pound muskie to his credit.

“Fish of a thousand casts? Oh, yeah.

Definitely,” Schultz said when I asked. “But there are days when it’s the fish of 20 casts — and every 20 casts. In stocked waters I expect to catch one every four to six hours. In natural waters it is every 30 hours. And then you may go four days without one.”

Ç GO ONLINE

Follow Howard Meyerson on his blog, The Outdoor Journal, at howardmeyerson.com.

WILMINGTON, VT.

A GoPro digital camera is shown mounted on a ski helmet, a hot item on ski slopes and in other settings this season. (AP)

Helmet camera craze: Skiers record their runs

By Samantha Critchell

The Associated Press

There are moments on the slopes when skiers wish all eyes were on them. But here’s the next best thing: helmet cameras, which enable skiers to photograph and videotape their own descents, jumps and tracks to show off later.

Helmet cams have become so ubiquitous they are “almost the norm” at Steamboat Ski & Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Steamboat is even incorporating user content into its social media and marketing, because the vantage point of the skier or boarder taking video has more impact than

the pro cameraman standing at the bottom.

SHARING VIDEO: NOT JUST FOR KIDS

A new teen center at a members-only resort will even have indoor video editing booths and a screening room to play footage and finished films for a crowd.

The teen center is part of a new lodge at The Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain in Wilmington, Vt. Hermitage owner and founder Jim Barnes was inspired by the interest of his own children — ages 16, 14 and 9 — in using the cams.

But the cameras are not just for kids. Barnes recalled a 40-year-old who took video of 47 runs during a single day last season.

“Sharing” is the key: The explosion of social media is what’s led to the leap in cameras among skiers and boarders — not to mention surfers, skate boarders, rock climbers and mountain bikers.

“The cameras seem to be driving people to do more adventurous things, explore the back country, so they can share it,” Davis said. “It’s not just ego. But people are aware that they are presenting an image of themselves, and

videos of them doing this stuff starts conversations.”

SALES AND IMPULSE BUYS

Sales of the cameras, such as industry leader GoPro, were up 50 percent to 123,000 at snow sports retailers for the 2012-13 ski season, according to the SnowSports Industries America. The trade group expects a higher number for 2013-14, with additional sales at electronics stores and elsewhere that the SIA does not track.

GoPro sells its HD Helmet Hero Plus 3 model for close to $400, but the price has not deterred impulse buyers who

see others using it and must have one.

“It’s ... not farfetched to say, a family will come into one of our retail outlets and tell us, ‘We’re using our iPhone for video, but we just saw someone else’s video’ ” shot with a GoPro. Often they’ll buy one on the spot.

Jonathan Harris, GoPro’s vice president of sales, thinks this season will see more groups collaborating on videos.

“As a kid, I loved watching Warren Miller ski movies,” he said. “Now with $400 — boom! — you are out there getting your own movie.”

For the latest breaking news, go to mlive.com/sports

Sports

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SECTION

Comment

Many readers are expressing their feelings about the Detroit Lions’ slide from North Division front-runner to out of the playoffs. To read the comments or leave your own, go to mlive.com/lions

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL / B2

SMITH DAZZLES FOR W. MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN NFL NFL

Week 16 stars •Peyton Manning, Broncos, finished 32 for 51 for 400 yards and four touchdown passes in a 37-13 win over Houston. Manning has 51 touchdown passes and passed Tom Brady (50 in 2007) for the most in a single season in NFL history. Manning is the first player to pass for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in the same season.

•LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown, Eagles. McCoy had 18 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns and Brown had nine carries for 115 yards, including a 65-yard TD run in a 54-11 win over Chicago.

•Le’Veon Bell, Steelers, had 26 carries for 124 yards and a TD in a 38-31 win over Green Bay. •Antonio Brown, Steelers, had six catches for 105 yards in a 38-31 win over Green Bay. •Luke Kuechly, Panthers.

Kuechly had 24 tackles and an interception in a 17-13 win over New Orleans. Since tackles became a recognized stat in 1994, Kuechly’s 24 are tied for the most in a game (New York Jets’ David Harris, Nov. 4, 2007).

Postseason bound

All four division winners in the AFC have been determined.

Denver, which defeated Houston 37-13, clinched the AFC West and a first-round bye. New England, which defeated Baltimore 41-7, clinched the AFC East. Cincinnati, which beat Minnesota 42-14, clinched the AFC North.

Indianapolis already had clinched the AFC South entering Week 16.

In the NFC, Carolina defeated New Orleans 17-13 and clinched a playoff berth. The Panthers join Seattle, who already had clinched a postseason berth, in the NFC playoffs field.

Winner-take-all games

Chicago missed a chance to seal a playoff spot with a 54-11 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday night. Now, it’ll host Green Bay this Sunday — the winner takes the NFC North, the loser is done.

In the last game of the regular season, Dallas will host Philadelphia. The Sunday night showdown decides who wins the NFC East and who goes home.

Streaks and stats

•Arizona has won seven of eight and ended the Seahawks’ 14-game home win streak with a 17-10 victory.

•Houston extended its franchise-record skid to 13 games with a 37-13 loss to Denver.

Milestones

•Tom Brady led the Patriots to a 41-7 win at Baltimore as New England clinched the AFC East.

Brady has led his team to 11 division titles, the most by a starting QB in NFL history. Denver’s Peyton Manning, whose Broncos clinched the AFC West, has led his team to 10 division titles.

•Andy Dalton has led the Bengals to the playoffs in his first three seasons. Pat Haden, of the Rams; Dan Marino, of the Dolphins; Bernie Kosar, of the Browns; and Joe Flacco, of the Ravens, are the other four QBs to accomplish the feat.

DETROIT LIONS

Schwartz era should end Kyle Meinke

kmeinke @mlive.com

D

Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola (51) and guard Rob Sims (67) sit on the bench during overtime of Sunday’s loss. (AP)

Coach insists season is not a failure

By Kyle Meinke

kmeinke@mlive.com

ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions had playoff aspirations this year. They will fall short after another colossal second-half meltdown.

But coach Jim Schwartz insists this season is not a failure.

“We didn’t make the playoffs, and that’s obviously anybody’s goal. We didn’t achieve that goal. But I don’t know if I’d be as strong to call it a failure,” Schwartz said Monday during his weekly news conference.

The Lions started 6-3 and were alone atop the NFC North. But they’ve since been caught from behind by both Chicago and Green Bay, even though both clubs have a losing record over the past five weeks.

Detroit has lost five of its past six games, leaving it at 7-8 and eliminated from the playoffs. It concludes the season Sunday in Minnesota, and then it’s possible Schwartz will be fired after back-to-back seasons that fell short of expectations.

Schwartz acknowledges the Lions didn’t get the job done this year but refused to characterize it as a failure.

His logic: he has a strong definition for the word.

“I don’t want to get philosophical on the grading or anything like that, but when I hear the word failure, I think more ‘abject failure,’” Schwartz said.

“Nothing goes right. That’s the connotation I get from it. Maybe you feel a little bit different. But I don’t feel that

Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz watches the video board Sunday at Ford Field.

(Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

UPDATE Next game: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. Sunday TV: Fox More: Lions recap, B5; Huge opinion, B6

when they went 1-5 and lost five fourth-quarter leads, Schwartz suggested the media was reaching.

“We’re now into parsing. Bill Clinton’s ‘It depends on what your definition of is is,’” Schwartz said. with our team.

“I mean, here’s the thing: As a head “I’m still proud of our team. Our coach standing up here, I have a hard team came to battle and they’ve played time going down into our locker room through the games. Just came up a with our players and calling them a play short. If somebody else wants failure. It’s not what I believe. to term that a failure, then that’s cer“Maybe my connotation of the tainly their right to. But I’m still a half- word is a lot stronger than what you full guy.” guys are thinking. We haven’t accomAsked specifically whether the plished what we wanted to accomLions failed in the past six weeks, plish, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

DETROI T LIONS

“We’re now into parsing.

Bill Clinton’s ‘It depends on what your definition of is is.’”

JIM SCHWARTZ, DETROIT LIONS COACH, DISCUSSING WHETHER THE TEAM FAILED THE LAST SIX WEEKS

SIX WEEKS OF FAILURE Week Opponent 11 12 13 14 15 16

at Steelers Bucs Packers at Eagles Ravens Giants

Yards (+/-) 451-398 (+ 53) 390-229 (+161) 561-126 (+435) 231-478 (-247) 349-305 (+ 44) 355-279 (+ 76)

Turnovers 4th Q lead Final 3-0 (-3) 5-0 (-5) 4-3 (-1) 3-1 (-2) 3-0 (-3) 3-2 (-1)

27-23 21-17 40-10 20-14 16-15 20-13

L 27-37 L 21-24 W 40-10 L 20-34 L 16-18 L 20-23

NFC North W-L Det Chi GB 6-3 5-4 5-4 6-4 6-4 5-5 6-5 6-5 5-5-1 7-5 6-6 5-6-1 7-6 7-6 6-6-1 7-7 8-6 7-6-1 7-8 8-7 7-7-1

The Lions earned the tiebreaker over the Bears in Week 10 and the tiebreaker over the Packers in Week 13.

ETROIT — The time is 8:44 p.m., and a stadium worker just drove toward midfield in what looks a lot like a lawn mower. It isn’t a lawn mower, obviously, because Ford Field doesn’t have grass. But it looks like one.

The machine has bristled plates on the bottom which rotate violently, and the worker is riding that machine up and down and back and forth over the Lions logo at the 50-yard line.

Only an hour and change has passed since Detroit suffered a 23-20 overtime loss against the New York Giants on Sunday evening. And already they are scrubbing away that midfield logo.

There’s something poetic about this image. A half-erased lion, mere minutes after the Lions themselves were erased from playoff contention.

And now the Jim Schwartz era should follow suit.

It’s time for this era to be scrubbed out.

The Lions have one more game, next Sunday in Minnesota. But that’s a mere postscript after Sunday’s loss against lowly New York eliminated them from the playoffs.

Detroit (7-8) started 6-3, yet was caught from behind by a Chicago team that has lost three of its past five games and a Green Bay team that is 2-5-1 in its past eight.

The Lions simply were buried in a flurry of interceptions, penalties, drops and fumbles.

They are 1-5 in their past six games, despite leading in the fourth quarter of each.

Adding insult to injury, Chicago and Green Bay both lost Sunday, meaning the Lions could have controlled their own destiny. All they had to do was win against the Giants, who hadn’t beaten a .500 team in almost two months. And Detroit couldn’t even manage that.

It’ll go down as just another missed opportunity in a season with oodles of them.

“You pray to the football gods that they bless you with a season where teams in your division are down,” receiver Nate Burleson said. “We had that. The football gods gave us a gift, and in so many ways as a team, we squandered it.

“I’ve been playing 11 years, and that situation doesn’t come about. So it’s frustrating.

This season is going to sting. ... We got to take our lumps.”

Burleson would never say it, nor would any of his teammates, but one of those lumps has to be Schwartz’s job.

How can you bring back a coach who is 29-50 in five seasons, and call that progress?

How can you bring back SEE SCHWARTZ, B5

B2 / TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Local Sports BOWLING

THE SLAM DUNK

Locals strike for 300 games, 800 series

Players pushed 40-point plateau

By Scott Brandenburg

Tuttle (765), Jeff Califf (763), Tom Beach (762), Trevor MUSKEGON — There were Torres (762) and Shannon bowlers lighting up Northway Pomeroy (761).

Bowlers at Bob-Hi Lanes Lanes everywhere you looked are starting to heat up as well. this past week.

Five bowlers recorded a Ten individuals put three 750 series or higher, and a high-enough quality games few others were over 730. together to post a 760 series Chris Churchill led the or higher at Northway. way with a 300 game and Ted Boltz was the hottest 761 series. Al Beaton came in of them, as he struck for 300 behind Churchill with a 299 and 290 games on his way to game and 757 series. an 812 series.

The other Bob-Hi bowlers The best of the rest includto hit 750 include Paul Grycki ed Matt Behling (777), Kevin (756), Tim Milton (753) and Jarvis (772), Rich Beckley (770), Noah Pierce, (769), Tim Jason Kops (750).

sbranden@mlive.com mlive.com

Smith, Williams gather weekly hard-court plaudits

sbranden@mlive.com

A look at top perfomances from the area high school basketball scene: BOYS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Bernard Smith, Western Michigan Christian: Smith proved to be unstoppable in the Warriors’ 71-57 home win over Grand Rapids Covenant Christian on Friday. The 6-foot-5 senior center scored a career-high 38 points and added 18 rebounds in the River Valley Conference opener for both schools. He spread his points out evenly, scoring 18 in the first half and 20 after the break to help the Warriors improve to 2-1. Smith deflected credit to his teammates for getting him the ball. “It was an outstanding game,” WMC coach Kyle Mastenbrook said.

“Bernard gets a ton of the credit. I knew that Bernard would be able to put the ball in the hoop if we got it to him. There are very few schools that have a kid that can stop Bernard.”

Muskegon Community College men topple Grace Bible JV bchampio@mlive.com

The Muskegon Community College men’s basketball team defeated Grace Bible College’s junior varsity team 72-57 on Friday.

The Jayhawks (7-4) trailed by five points at halftime, but responded in the second half to pull away.

Jake Anderson led a balanced MCC attack with 16 points. Marquise Hatter played a solid all-around game with 12 points, eight rebounds and a game-high nine assists. Rashard Donely added 11 points and seven rebounds.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Jayhawks (5-2) lost to Delta College 76-60 on Monday.

The 9-2 Pioneers used a late surge to pull away from MCC. Krystal Geers continued her strong season, scoring 28 points and grabbing 17 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks. She also had seven steals. Taylor Brown added 10 points.

The Jayhawks are back in action Sunday for the Laker Classic at Lake Land, Ill. MCC will play Prairie State, John Wood and Lake Land College during the three-day tournament.

GIRLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Kalisa Williams, Reeths-Puffer: Williams put up the performance of the week in the Rockets’ 67-62 overtime win against Oakridge on Dec. 21. The junior scored 38 points and hauled down eight rebounds in the finale of the Hall of Fame Tournament at Mona Shores High School. Eighteen of Williams’ points came in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer which sent the game to overtime.

SCOREBOARD SCHEDULE

FRIDAY BOYS BASKETBALL Dexter at Fremont, 3:15 p.m.

Mason County Central at Shelby, 6 p.m.

Spring Lake at Grand Haven, 7 p.m.

Hall of Fame Classic at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 7:30 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL Grand Haven at Kent City, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY BOYS BASKETBALL Hall of Fame Classic at Reeths-Puffer, 7:30 p.m.

LOOK AHEAD

By Scott Brandenburg

COLLEGE SPORTS ROUNDUP

By Brandon Champion

Class A-B girls 1. Grand Haven (4-0) 2. Muskegon (3-2) 3. Reeths-Puffer (4-2) 4. Oakridge (4-2) 5. Mona Shores (3-1) Class C-D girls 1. Kent City (4-0) 2. Fruitport Calvary Christian (4-0) 3. Shelby (3-2) 4. Muskegon Catholic Central (2-2) 5. Pentwater (3-2)

Scott Brandenburg nburg

sbranden@mlive.com

BY THE NUMBERS

Muskegon Heights Academy at Benton Harbor, 6 p.m.

BOYS SWIMMING Jenison Invitational: Grand Haven, 11:30 a.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at Grand Haven, 7 p.m.

Kent City at DeWitt, 5 p.m.

WRESTLING Goodrich Tournament: Hesperia, Whitehall, 10 a.m.

Grandville Invitational: Grand Haven, Mona Shores, Newaygo, 9 a.m.

Comstock Individual Invitational: Orchard View, 9:30 a.m.

0: Points allowed by Whitehall in the second quarter of a 59-24 win over Hart.

5: Steals for Reeths-Puffer’s Jalen Cooley in a 52-49 win over Mason County Central.

10: Boys basketball games postponed on Friday.

12: Rebounds for Fremont’s Blake Siersema in a 66-53 loss to Mona Shores.

14: Steals by Montague senior

Western Michigan Christian’s Bernard Smith, left, scored 38 points against Grand Rapids Covenant Christian on Friday. (Ken Stevens/MLive.com)

Morgan Schugars in a 48-28 win against Hart.

21: Points per game by Mason County Central’s Madison Geers through four games this season.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“(The win) means everything to us right now. To have guys step up to lead the team is wonderful, and it’s definitely something we can build off of. These experiences are going to pay dividends in March. We’re actually seeing ourselves do it and can reflect on these moments.” — Muskegon Heights Academy coach Dell Stewart, after Aaron Sydnor sank a 3-pointer with three seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 54-53 win over DeWitt.

POWER POLL

Class A-B boys 1. Muskegon (1-0) 2. Mona Shores (4-0) 3. Reeths-Puffer (1-1) 4. Mason County Central (3-1) 5. Grant (2-1) Class C-D boys 1. Shelby (4-0) 2. Muskegon Heights Academy (2-1) 3. Muskegon Catholic Central (2-0) 4. Montague (2-1) 5. Western Michigan Christian (2-1)

Here are four games to watch this week: Muskegon boys (1-0) vs. Westland John Glenn, 7:30 p.m. Friday: The Big Reds (1-0) will play just their second game of the season in the Friday nightcap of the Hall of Fame Classic at Reeths-Puffer. Deshaun Thrower made all but one 3-pointer and missed just two shots from the field in a win over Rockford earlier this season.

Shelby boys (4-0) at Mason County Central (3-1), 6 p.m., Friday: The Tigers and Spartans are both 2-0 in the West Michigan Conference standings and will vie for sole possession of first place. The Tigers have league wins over Montague and Ravenna. The Spartans have league victories over Ravenna and Whitehall.

Jason Beckman led the Tigers with 22 points against the Wildcats, and Kody Ambrose paced the Spartans over the Vikings with 23 points.

Muskegon boys (1-0) vs. East Kentwood (1-0), 7:30 p.m. Saturday: The Big Reds also will take on East Kentwood in the final game of the Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday at ReethsPuffer. The Falcons beat East Grand Rapids 73-47 in their only game so far this season. The Falcons have won three straight OK Red titles. Muskegon beat Rockford 57-32 in its only game.

Grand Haven girls (4-0) vs. Kent City (4-0), 5 p.m., Friday: Two of the Muskegon area’s top teams go head-tohead at Davenport University in Grand Rapids. The Eagles feature a balanced attack, while the two-time-defendingstate-champion Buccaneers are led by senior center Taylor Craymer.

Kent City already has close wins at Muskegon (60-58) and against previously unbeaten Coopersville (40-39).

Grand Haven has throttled their first four opponents, winning by an average of 16 points.

— Muskegon Chronicle’s Brandon Champion contributed to this report.

MUSKEGON-AREA’S BEST BOWLERS BOWLING

Muskegon’s best, for the week of Dec. 23: MEN’S HIGH GAMES Chris Churchill, Bob-Hi, 300 Greg Schmeling, Eagles, 300 Ted Boltz, Northway, 300 Mark McNarland, Northway, 300 Steve Vanderstelt, Jr., Ravenna, 300 MEN’S HIGH SERIES Steve Vanderstelt, Jr., Ravenna, 827 Ted Boltz, Northway, 812 Griffin Donahoe, Ravenna, 801 Greg Schmeling, Eagles, 792 Jeff Nutt, Ravenna, 791 WOMEN’S HIGH GAMES Nichole Barrett, Ravenna, 289 Angie Crandle, Ravenna, 266 Stacey Shook, Northway, 246 Heather Glover, Northway, 246 Julia Sugarbaker, Eagles, 246 WOMEN’S HIGH SERIES Nichole Barrett, Ravenna, 739 Angie Crandle, Ravenna, 683 Becky Neal, Northway, 657 Cheryl Johns, Northway, 646 Theresa Kammers, Northway, 639 BOB-HI LANES COMMERCIAL: Chris Churchill 300-761, Al Beaton 256-299-757, Bobby DeCheney 268-276-747, Fred Stewart 267-742, Kurt Stratton 289-736, Steve Schuitema 252-259-707, Kevin Bostrom 258-671, Clark Gomery 666, Bill Oosting 665,

Adam Grimm 660. MILLER LITE SUBURBAN: Jerrod Smith 275-685, Shawn Shawboose 247-636, Van Mathews 245-625. MINI: Tim Milton 248-269-753, Ben Mazurek 245-258-695, Steve Fairbanks 259685, Gary Cobb 245-683, Miles Foughty 278-674, Mark Pierce 651, Jason Davis 643. THURSDAY 4 PERSON: Roger Hansen 237-644, Tom Rameau 245-626, Josh Leonard 607. FRIDAY NITE MENS: Marty Birch 248-694, Jim Sanchez 248-690, Andy Tetzloff 248-249-688, Richard Bosma 258-681, Paul Lesica 667, Richard Beckley 659, Richard Peterson 247-658, Jeff McManus 246-655, Van Mathews 243-649, Dan Alviar 647, John Coleman 644, Neil Faught 643. MERRI MAKERS: Paul Grycki 279-756, Jason Kops 279-750, Mike Budwick 672, Charlie Budwick 666, Dave Williams 657, Lee Farber 645, Jake Wabindato 628, Kristina Farber 566.

MUSKEGON EAGLES RECREATION Monday Night Eagles: Greg Schmeling 245-300247-792, Joe Kolanowski 299-726, Todd Stuart 290-244-753, Ryan Mouw 278, Steve Clifford 267-244, Brian Frederick 247, Nate Faucher 244, Bob DeCheney 243-708, George Frederick 241.

Muskegon Businessmen: Greg Schmeling 233, Gary Tenbrock 232, Mike Frazier 229, Jim Grimm 227, Jim Brooks 225, Gene Hyrns 224. Muskegon Elks #274: Nick Beach 276-247-738, George Ruthkoski 258, John Rudnick 254, Greg Schmeling 236-249710, Lee Beagle 246, Ray Skoglund 246, Julius Ritz 238, Tom Beach 233, Roger Kroll 233. Thurday Nite 69ners: Julia Sugarbaker 246-188-170-604, Sue Eitniear 204-173-534, Luisa Adame 181-197-535, Kelly Mathews 186, Cindy Hendrickson 183-173, Dar Pontius 178, Kim Grimm 172, Karen Grimm 170, Erin Stanfield 170. Friday Night Mixed: Womens: Annette Even 171, Tammy Plumhoff 169, Char Clements 160. Mens: Kevin Clements 212, Kevin

Position

Even 206, Jon Kroll 183, Jason Schaub 172.

FREMONT LANES Over The Hill Gang : Ron Stever 258-675, Bill Vickery 246-638, Rich Hoffman 238-666, Art Wolver 233-640, John Rynberg Jr 236-684, Joyce Miller 215-518, Ella Mae Matthews 184, Sharon Mirkle 183-495. Happy Go Lucky: Carol Canniff 200-504, Joyce Miller 192, Sue Hutchinson 190-504, Dee Rynberg 500.

NORTHWAY LANES Thurs After School Jrs Boys: Garrett Wever 108-192, Cameron Christensen 91-180. Thurs After School Jrs Girls: Dakota Perryman 83-132, Makaela Leszinske 73-134. Circle: Kevin Jarvis 289-772, Jamie Lorenz 289-729, Curt Crocker 258, Mike Gilmore 705. Starlettes: Annette Jones 210-542, Sherry Zulfelt 192, Michele Sanocki 191, Lynne Wood 509, Paila Siebert 500. Port City Independents: Barb Varboncoeur 213-509, Mary Johnson 196-577, Peggy Perdue 194-524. 12 O’Clock Rock Men: Jason Johnson 289-713, Rob Olson 254, Jerry Palmer 248, Ron Werner 700, Kevin Lothschultz 652. 12 O’Clock Rock Women: Natalie Vanderlaan 132-132-127-391. XYZers Men: Dick Swineheart 225-225-590, Al Gebaux 223, Jerry Sharlow 594, Dave Engle 588. XYZers Women: Sue Ellis 207201-590, Peggy Brunais 202-489, Barb Schulist 476. 747 Men: Ray Hilderbrandt 237-589, Bruce Kinney 212-590, Gerald 209-602. 747 Women: Shauna Priest 167-135-451, Jennie Blachette 161, patsy Hilderbrandt 460, Kathy Norwood 417.

Heights Eagles: Russ VanKlompenberg 268-695, Ricky Hruskach 266-717, John Perez 265, Greg Sherwood. Sandbaggers: Brenda Hansen 223-576, Brianne Moschke 214, Wendy Hamilton 210-588, Kathy Hansen 576. Casual Couples Men: Paul Spinner 252-664, Dave Lusk 237-591, Harvey Riley

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676, Doug Lyda 673. Sunday Nite Strikers Women: Kelly Jacobs 189-523, Krystal TenBrink 171-453, Alicia Siemen 171, Kathy Beckley 474. Sunday Nite Mixed-Ups Men: Tommy Buffum 278-713, Chris Dusen 266-259-707, Ryan Behling 645. Sunday Nite Mixed-Ups Women: Becky Neal 237-226-657, Deborah Peterson 235-613, Sherry Frees 580.

White Lake Sunday Nite Mixed Men: Jeff Califf 279-763, Bob Lash 265, Robbie Yaunke 259-705, Paul Mahn 656. White Lake Sunday Nite Mixed Women: Chrissy Crampton 206-544, Kelly Carmean 201-541, Cortney Forbe 193-509. Monday Fun Day Ladies: Tangela Barnes 188-174-497, Tasha Seals 172, Clara Kuipers 460, Shawn Posthumus 433.

Imperial: Tim Tuttle 277-267-765, Chuck Majeski 276, Tom Ross 703, Ken Terrell 664. Rollettes: Theresa Kammers 245-639, Retha Hoskin 220, Robin Cooper 216-604, Darlene Webb 573. Monday Nite Industrial: Matt Behling 267-777, Nathan Button 266, Mitch Jarosik 263, Rich Beckley 770, Torrence Sloan 739. Starlites: Janet Chapman 199, Shay Boller 182, Sharon DeLange 180-480, Yvonne Johnivan 500, Amber Swanson 498. Leisure Ladies Gloria McIlrath 184-483, Sandy Majeski 173-501, Sharon Goodwin 171, lois Tweet 432. Northway Industrial: Mark McNarland 300, Trevor Torres 279762, Nick Beach 278, Shannon Pomeroy 761, Kevin Krohn 720. Tuesday Seniors Men: Neil McCallum 255-684, Dick Swineheart 244, Al Sheren 244, Dick Meisch 646, Daryl Hoffmeyer 640. Tuesday Seniors Women: Kathy Szczesny 218-599, Eleanor Hayes 205-514, Nina Young 201, Lillian Carson 516. Reeths Puffer Teachers Men: Hans Agard 234-208-630, Tom Fretty 192, Greg DeWeerd 491, Tim McDougle 459. Reeths Puffer Teachers Women: Carol Anderson 152-141-135-428, Sandy Finkelstein 362, Kathy Agard 356. Bowler Babes: Brenda Stong 216-524, Bev Jones 191-501, Linda

Position

Company

Sanders 183-535. Wednesday Morning Industrial: Ted Boltz 300-290-812, Bruce Potter 269-744, Nick Provatas 675. Panhandlers: Sue Holder 195, Deb Krohn 189-525, Nancy Weerstra 186, Rainey Califf 518, Barb Black 516. Business Girls: Stacey Shook 246-627, Heather Glover 246, Kim Bayak 244-610, Cheryl Johns 646. Consumers: Roger Brooks 259-256-707, Kyle Patterson 259-711, Neil Wadland 624. Flannery’s: Jake Peterman 269, Jeff Maus 268-711, Jim Flannery III 258-672, Dallas Fox 641. Wednesday Wonders Men: Larry Weaver Jr 279-674, Joshua Shreve 269-618, David Bindon 237-642. Wednesday Wonders Women: Lisa Cerchiori 211-532, Lynette Wever-Jones 207-202608, Karen Patitucci 535.

RAVENNA BOWL Sunday Nite Mixups: Rick Laug 248-719, Chris Swiatek 659, Konner Nyberg 258-702, Chris Waldie 268-671, Jim Poley 258-687, Heather Braun 546, Nichole Barrett 235-627, Angie Crandle 245-683.

Monday Nite Magic: Nichole Barrett 289-739, Angie Crandle 266-646, Amanda Luce 215-593. RACO: Russ Warren 258-718, Brian Benkert 278-664, Dave Ross Jr. 244-677, Ken Pisczek 659, Rick Sokolowski 259-676. Bowlerettes: Deb Cody 517, Dee Dee Hazen 518. Early Birds: Justin Wyant 248-692, Russ Luther 267-738, Jeff Nutt 278-791, John Barrett 247-706, Rick Laug 256-662, Steve Vandersteldt Jr 300-290-827, Dan Versluys 279727, Karla Waldie 246-647, Tracy Funk 257-598.

Commercial: Chris Waldie 661, Dan Versluys 245683, Jim Mendham 267-670, Griffin Donahoe 277801, Todd Kiessel 255-671, Dan Procko 255-727, Justin Wyant 267-656, John Barrett 246-694, Todd Place 268-685, Jeff Nutt 255-733, Dave Sherman 237-691, Jason Stream 688, Jim Poley 248-694, Dave Wilburn 664.

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FOOD SERVICE General Manager

236, Larry Dixon 610. Casual Couples Women: Jamie Herlein 181-535, Tammy Smith 180, Jeannie Badeaux 179, Anna Rake 501, Rose Dixon 488.

Saturday Shooters Men: James Clark 257-679, Chuck Beaver 256-652, Doug Morse 249-663.

Saturday Shooters Women: Rayme Supernaw 212-539, Tammy Hutson 202-527, Lisa Santos 185-506. Saturday Nite Mixed Men: Anthony Foster 216-595, Jason White 208-207-551, Ryan McCarty 532. Saturday Nite Mixed Women: Heather White 147-361, Autumn Millis 142-387, Mel McCarty 138-306. Christian Bowlers United Men: Richard Williams 248-650, William Anderson 241225-669, Marc Blackman 574. Christian Bowlers United Women: Darlinda Blackman 167-413, Gail Anderson 165-451, Maxine Coleman 156-406.

Bumper to Bowler Boys: Edward Ransom 94-181, Gage Wadland 93-178, Zackary Lockhart 87, Joshua Bennett 169. Bumper to Bowler Girls: Katelyn Ketchum 71-67-138. Youth Novices Boys: Trent Beerman 144-127-363, Zachary Wiggins 140-288, Dylan Goryl 312. Youth Novices Girls: Zoe Fetters 153-357, Kassie Ketchum 118-114-288, Madison Toney 287. Youth Apprentices Boys: Devin Shreve 192, Logan Wadland 188-496, Nathan Ketchum 188-496, Zack Shreve 509. Youth Apprentices Girls: Jackie Jacobs 172-162-453, Rachel Pierce 164-446, Isabella Behling 411. Youth Masters Boys: Noah Pierce 278-268-769, Jimmy Brodeur 258-680, Barry Hoffmeyer 664. Youth Masters Girls: Brittany Ketchum 224-214-618, Sarah DeBrot 215, Kayleigh Gonzalez 535, Samantha Johns 527. Kings & Queens Men: Josh Shreve 237-644, Rich Heykoop 234-643, John Stoner 233, Terry Morey 615. Kings & Queens Women: Jamie Sutton 198-506, Kristine Rainwater 193-498, Diane Goryl 184, Jeanette Morin 457. Sunday Nite Strikers Men: Tom Beach 268-248-246-762, Mike Beck

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MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 / B3

National Sports FOOTBALL

Manning calls TD record temporary The Associated Press

28 points from becoming the ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — league’s first 600-point team.

Peyton Manning says his 51-TD They’re already the first record will be short-lived, sug- team in NFL history with gesting Tom Brady will take it five players with at least 10 back soon enough. touchdowns; running back Or, for that matter, any Knowshon Moreno has 10 number of other quarterbacks TD runs and two TD catches. could break it should NFL Nobody else has had four playowners get their way and ers with double-digit TDs. expand the season to 18 games.

“It just speaks to what we’ve Perhaps he’s just being done as an offense,” Julius pragmatic.

Thomas said. “We have no Maybe he’s just being problem with people havmodest. ing high expectations of us “I think if it does go to 18 because we have high expectagames, I think that is a practitions of ourselves.” cal assessment,” said tight end Maybe that’s why he didn’t Julius Thomas, who caught realize he had the recordthe record-breaker in Denver’s holder in his hands when he 37-13 win at Houston on caught No. 51 Sunday and just Sunday. “I think that will skew let it go instead of holding onto a lot of records. But you know it. Decker picked up the ball he’s also a modest person. and tucked it in the side of his That’s who he is. It’s pretty jersey, where it remained as he remarkable to throw 51 touch- walked off the field. downs. I believe records are Decker, who was pranked meant to be broken and most

by Manning in the offseason, are broken. But that’s one that when the quarterback invited could stand for a while.” him for a weekend passing It will stand for a long time, camp at Duke and tricked him suggested Eric Decker, who into thinking he had to pay retrieved the record-breaking thousands of dollars for doing memento when Thomas nonso, saw an opportunity for chalantly dropped it, unaware payback. of the famous football’s emo“I was going to take it home. tional or even economic value. That’s an item that is going “Of course he’s being modto go for a lot,” Decker said est,” Decker said Monday. “I Monday. “Naw, it was one of think it’s a tough feat. Fiftythose pranks where he got plus touchdowns in a season, me at Duke. I figured this was you’ve got to do something maybe a time where I could very, very special.” hold the ball ransom and see Manning began the season what I could get out of it. But I by becoming the first QB since had to give it to him, and that 1969 to throw for seven TDs in was such a cool thing to be a a game, one of eight games this part of.” season in which he’s thrown Manning can make it even for four or more touchdowns. more difficult to break the He’s thrown a dozen touchrecord when the Broncos (12-3) down passes to Julius Thomas visit the Oakland Raiders (4-11) and Demaryius Thomas, and on Sunday.

10 each to Decker and Wes Because the Broncos need Welker. to win to stay ahead of New After breaking Brady’s sinEngland in the race for homegle-season touchdown record field advantage throughout the of 50 on Sunday, Manning is AFC playoffs and the Patriots 266 yards from breaking Drew kick off against Buffalo at the Brees’ single-season mark for same time, Manning, and not yards passing. The Broncos are his backup, Brock Osweiler, 18 points shy of setting a sinwill be under center fine-tungle-season scoring record and ing things before the playoffs.

BASKETBALL

Surprises await in NBA East The Associated Press

MIAMI — Christmas morning, 2008.

The Boston Celtics were 27-2. The Cleveland Cavaliers were 24-4. It could have been argued that those teams were well ahead of everyone else, not just in the Eastern Conference, but the entire NBA. Neither team made the NBA Finals that season.

Maybe that’s a warning to the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat.

When the East’s 15 teams wake up on Christmas morning this year, only the Pacers, the Heat and the Atlanta Hawks will be on pace to finish with records of .500 or better. The last time things wound up so bleak in the East was 1971-72, when only Boston and New York finished with winning records. Of course, back then, the conference had just eight teams.

By any measure, the East is Least right now, by far.

“The thing about the NBA is, you’re trying to build the right habits each and every day, then it’s the teams that are playing the best and are the healthiest going into the playoffs,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So that’s what you’re aiming for, to continue to improve — and anything could happen.”

One thing for sure, outside of Indiana and Miami, there’s plenty of room for improvement in the East.

Entering Monday, the Atlantic Division leaders were the Toronto Raptors, fresh off a surprise win at Oklahoma City that left them a mere 11-14 overall. Combined, teams in the East were winning 44 percent of their games so far; teams out West, 56 percent. Take away the Heat and Pacers (a combined 42-11 entering Monday), and the rest of the East was a putrid 135-214.

And it looks inevitable that some bad teams will be in the playoffs come April.

It’s not outside the realm of possibility that five teams with losing records will get on the East bracket; that matches the total of the last six postseasons combined, all on the East side. The West hasn’t sent a sub-.500 team to the playoffs since 1997.

Nonetheless, those who look like alsorans in the East hardly sound discouraged.

“We’ve got tough guys in here,” Toronto’s Kyle Lowry said. “No matter what’s happening, we’re going to keep playing and trying to get it done.”

It tends to happen that way.

Those 27-2 Celtics finished 62-20, and the Cavaliers were 66-16 with the NBA’s best record. Orlando was seven games behind Cleveland, clearly third-best in the East.

That is, until the playoffs happened.

Orlando won a Game 7 in Boston to

NFL

Peyton Manning waves to fans after throwing his NFL-record 51st touchdown pass against the Houston Texans on Sunday. (AP)

FOOTBALL

No one in control of AFC wild-card race The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The AFC wild-card race has four teams still in the running: the Ravens, Dolphins, Chargers and Steelers. None can earn the spot outright with a victory next Sunday.

Miami (8-7) must beat the Jets (7-8) and have Baltimore (8-7) lose or tie at Cincinnati (10-5); or win and have San Diego (8-7) win against Kansas City (11-4); or tie and have Baltimore lose and San Diego lose or tie; or tie while the Ravens tie and Chargers tie.

Baltimore must win and have San Diego lose or tie; or win and have Miami lose or tie; or tie and have Miami and San Diego lose; or tie and have Miami tie and San Diego lose; or have Miami, San Diego and Pittsburgh (7-8) lose.

The Chargers must win and get losses or ties by Miami and Baltimore, or tie, with losses by

Miami and Baltimore.

Pittsburgh must win at home against Cleveland (4-11) and have the other three lose.

The division titles already are decided, with Denver (12-3) taking the AFC West, New England (11-4) the East, Indianapolis (10-5) the South, and Cincinnati (10-5) the North.

In the NFC, no division is clinched. Seattle (12-3) leads the West, Carolina (11-4) the South, Philadelphia (9-6) the East, and Chicago (8-7) the North. The Seahawks and Panthers own playoff berths, and will take their divisions with wins Sunday: Seattle at home against St. Louis (7-8) and Carolina at Atlanta.

Philadelphia plays at Dallas (8-7) for the East crown on Sunday. Chicago hosts Green Bay (7-7-1) for the North title.

San Francisco and New Orleans are the front-runners for the wild cards.

Romo’s status in question

Tony Romo limped so badly on one play against Washington, he barely made it to the spot where he had to hand off.

The obvious limp was gone by the time the Dallas quarterback threw a fourth-down touchdown pass to DeMarco Murray that gave Dallas a big 24-23 win over the Redskins on Sunday.

The severity of his back injury is likely to remain a question all week as the Cowboys prepare for their third straight season finale for the NFC East title and a playoff berth, this time against Philadelphia on Sunday night.

Responding to reports that Romo would sit against the Eagles, coach Jason Garrett said Monday the team had “not made that determination at all at this point.”

Rodgers decision coming soon

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn’t sure if quarterback Aaron Rodgers will start the team’s winnertake-all NFC North matchup with the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field.

McCarthy did say Monday that the team wants to make a decision on Rodgers’ avail-

Indiana Pacers forward David West, center, is trapped by Detroit Pistons forward Josh Smith, left, and forward Kyle Singler on Dec. 16. The Pistons defeated the Pacers 101-96. (AP)

reach the East finals, then topped LeBron James and the Cavaliers in six games for a trip to the NBA Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers wound up winning the title.

“It’s never easy,” said James, now with the two-time defending champion Heat. “We knew that. We never thought it would be.”

There’s also plenty of people still around the Heat organization who know that the season doesn’t end on Dec. 25. The 82-game marathon isn’t even to the halfway mark.

Take, for example, Christmas 2003.

The Heat had been 0-7 that season and were just 11-17 at the holiday break. On Feb. 10 of that season, they were 21-32.

On March 2, 25-36. At the finish: 42-40, not just good enough for the playoffs, but good enough for home-court in one round and ultimately a trip to the East semifinals.

That’s why Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is not only a staunch defender of the East — young teams are going to get better in a hurry, he said — but also insists that the race is a long way from

ability “sooner than later.”

Rodgers, who has not played since fracturing his left collarbone against the Bears at Lambeau Field on Nov. 4, has missed the past seven games.

Broncos’ Miller out for playoffs

The Denver Broncos began the season without strongside linebacker Von Miller, and they’ll end it without him, too.

Miller is done for the year after tests Monday revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which he injured in the first quarter of Denver’s 37-13 win at Houston over the weekend.

being classified a two-horse affair.

“You hear all that talk about the Eastern Conference and how down it is this year,” Spoelstra said. “That’s really from a simple perspective, and you’re not really looking at it with any depth at all. That’s just the average, uninformed voice out there. If you really looked at it in-depth ... you see about three or four teams that have that type of potential.”

Toronto won at Oklahoma City, something no one else has done this season.

Boston won in Miami. Detroit won in Indiana and Miami. Brooklyn and New York probably can’t stay this bad — among the very worst in the East — all season.

There’s still plenty of time for a race.

Or if nothing else, some surprises.

“It’s a long season, you know, and teams that have injuries now, they get healthy as they go along,” said Thibodeau, whose Bulls have lost Derrick Rose for probably another entire season with yet another injury.

“Anything could happen at the end.”

True, but right now it doesn’t look good.

Bowl record and leading East Carolina to a 37-20 victory over Ohio on Monday.

The Pirates (10-3) grabbed the lead for good on the first of Cooper’s two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, a 31-yard burst with less than 10 minutes remaining.

East Carolina’s Shane Carden threw for 273 yards and one TD and also scored on a pass reception.

Auburn’s Malzahn is coach of year

Gus Malzahn inherited a demoralized Auburn team that had just gone through the program’s worst season in decades with a stagnant offense and pliant defense.

The coach, known for fast play on offense, went to Panthers’ Smith work in a hurry. He led the second-ranked Tigers’ transdoubtful Carolina Panthers wide formation into Southeastern receiver Steve Smith is Conference champions and “highly doubtful” for Sunday’s has them in the national game against the Atlanta championship game Jan. 6 Falcons with a left knee against No. 1 Florida State. sprain, coach Ron Rivera said Malzahn’s quick work made Monday. him The Associated Press However, Rivera said he’s national coach of the year. optimistic Smith will be Malzahn received 33 votes ready for the playoffs. from AP Top 25 college football poll voters to beat out COLLEGE FOOTBALL Duke’s David Cutcliffe.

Cutcliffe received 17 votes ECU beats Ohio after leading Duke (10-3) to its first 10-win season. in bowl game Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher Vinatavious Cooper rushed and Michigan State’s Mark for a career-best 198 yards, Dantonio each received three setting a Beef ‘O’ Brady’s votes.

Dismissed Boise QB refutes accusation Boise State University quarterback Joe Southwick said he was unfairly dismissed from the Hawaii Bowl, arguing he was falsely accused of urinating from a hotel balcony.

Southwick, a senior who was sent home Friday by interim head coach Bob Gregory after the team arrived in Hawaii, took a polygraph test after arriving in Boise in his bid to prove his innocence, KTVB reported Sunday.

“It’s really important for myself and my family to get this cleared up,” Southwick said. “There was no process to properly adjudicate what happened. It’s really disappointing that it had to come to this.

Southwick said the polygraph results indicate he told the truth: He witnessed another player urinate off the balcony, but didn’t do it himself.

SOCCER

Investigation continues A news report cites a Sao Paulo state Labor Ministry official as saying the man who operated the crane that collapsed at the city’s World Cup stadium had worked 18 days in a row.

Two construction workers were killed in the Nov. 27 accident, which remains under investigation.

B4 / TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

State Sports U-M FOOTBALL

Hoke: Morris would be QB if bowl were now

By Nick Baumgardner

nbaumgardner@mlive.com

ANN ARBOR — If Michigan’s bowl game took place today, it would be starting a true freshman at quarterback.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke told reporters in Arizona on Monday that freshman Shane Morris would be the Wolverines’ starter if the game was played now, as junior starter Devin Gardner has yet to see the practice field with a foot injury.

Gardner, who was photographed by reporters in Arizona during Michigan’s arrival for Saturday’s Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, was seen wearing a walking boot and using crutches. U-M faces Kansas State on Saturday night.

Hoke also said Gardner met with a doctor on Friday, but did not officially rule him out for the game.

The junior quarterback

has not practiced since Michigan closed its 2013 regular season with a 42-41 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 30.

He was seen with crutches and a walking boot at the team’s banquet earlier this month, and the official diagnosis from Hoke has been “turf toe.”

Gardner has thrown for 2,960 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season. He is 371 yards shy of Michigan’s all-time singleseason passing yards record, and is four touchdowns shy of tying the single-season touchdown passes mark.

Morris, meanwhile — a 6-foot-3 lefty from Warren De La Salle High School — has appeared in three games this season, going 4 of 9 for 65 yards and an interception.

NEXT GAME What: Michigan Wolverines vs.

Kansas State Wildcats When: 10:15 p.m. Saturday TV: ESPN

U-M BASKETBALL

U-M got big win considering resume

B

ROOKLYN, N.Y. — Last Saturday, I found myself overhearing a conversation about U-M’s 72-70 loss to No. 1 Arizona and its potential impact on U-M’s tournament seeding. The conversation took place under the pretenses that a trip to the dance is a foregone conclusion.

I get it. Michigan is too talented and too highly regarded to not somehow meander into the bracket. Odds are, it will figure out a way into the field.

That’s a generous perception, though.

When the time comes, only the resume matters.

A win over Florida State — that was all Michigan was offering. Losses to Iowa State, Charlotte, Duke and Arizona weren’t too wince-worthy, but, at some point, you have to win.

That’s what made Saturday in Brooklyn all-important.

Michigan needed to beat Stanford — an all-right team from an OK Pac-12 conference. There was no wiggle room here.

Extra adversity wasn’t needed, but it came Saturday.

Maize-and-blue bodies bounced onto the Barclays Center floor. Then came 6 feet, 10 inches of shirt and tie. Mitch McGary clopped onto the court in dress shoes.

Michigan’s starting power forward, out with a long list of bumps and bruises, would not be playing.

Michigan, of course,

Brendan da an Quinn n

bquinn com @mlive.com

survived. A 68-65 win over Stanford sent the Wolverines jingling into the holiday.

Sure, they mishandled a 10-point lead with just over six minutes remaining. And yes, the opposition wasn’t exactly Michigan State or Ohio State or Wisconsin. But Michigan got the win; a big win — one that shouldn’t be underestimated in the grand scheme of the 2013-14 season.

When it comes to Michigan, the nonconference portion of the schedule isn’t pretty under the hood. Those four losses scuffed out the shine.

A loss to Stanford would have left the situation somewhere between dire and disastrous. Once the No. 7 team in the country, Michigan would have been 6-5.

Instead, the win pushed U-M to 7-4 overall. It wasn’t a season-changer by any means, but the Wolverines had to have another win to put on the wall next to Florida State.

And they got it.

NEXT GAME What: Michigan Wolverines vs.

Holy Cross Crusaders When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday TV: BTN

MSU BASKETBALL

Three Big Ten teams still in top five; Arizona remains No. 1

By Josh Slagter

jslagter@mlive.com

If a late December Top 25 poll is any indication, the Big Ten could be quite a dogfight.

Michigan State, coming off of a 92-78 road win against Texas, remained No. 5 in this week’s Associated Press poll.

The Spartans are joined in the top five by No. 3 Ohio State (12-0) and No. 4 Wisconsin (12-0). Iowa, at No. 22, is the only other Big Ten team ranked.

The Buckeyes were down eight points to Notre Dame with 50 seconds to play Saturday night, but rallied for a 64-61 win.

Arizona remains No. 1, collecting 63 of 65 first-

place votes. Second-ranked Syracuse received the other two votes.

Michigan beat Stanford, 68-65, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday for its best win of the season, even without Mitch McGary.

The Wolverines had just three votes in last week’s poll, but now are up to 15.

Both Michigan State and Michigan are next in action Saturday, with the Spartans hosting New Orleans and the Wolverines welcoming Holy Cross.

Michigan State will open Big Ten play Dec. 31 at Penn State, while Michigan will be at Minnesota on Jan. 2 for its first conference game.

The Detroit Pistons’ Brandon Jennings is fouled by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Anthony Bennett during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday in Cleveland. Jennings scored 21 points and had 13 assists in the Pistons’ 115-92 win over Cleveland. (AP)

PISTONS 115, CAVS 92

Pistons pummel Cavs on road

By Brendan Savage

bsavage@mlive.com

CLEVELAND — For the first time in almost five years, the Detroit Pistons are two games over .500 on the road.

The Pistons recorded their seventh straight victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night, when Josh Smith had 25 points and eight rebounds in a 115-92 win at Quicken Loans Arena.

That gave the Pistons (14-16) an 8-6 record on the road. The last time they were two games over .500 on the road was Feb. 10, 2009, when they were 13-11 after losing in Chicago.

The victory was also Detroit’s seventh in the last eight road games. The Pistons’ only loss in that span was a 111-106 overtime setback Dec. 11 in New Orleans.

The Pistons led by 18 at halftime and Cleveland never got closer than 10 in the second half.

Brandon Jennings added 21 points and 13 assists for the Pistons. Andre Drummond had 14 points and 11

rebounds, Rodney Stuckey scored 14, Greg Monroe had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Gigi Datome bagged a career-high 13 points and Kyle Singler scored 10.

Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 21 points.

Cleveland, playing for the third time in four nights, had won five of its previous six games at home. The Cavs fell to 10-17.

HIGHLIGHTS

•The Pistons shot 57 percent in the first quarter and led by as many as 13 points before taking a 28-18 lead to the second. Drummond was 3-for-3 in the first on two dunks and a tip-in. Is it any wonder he entered the game second in the NBA in field-goal percentage?

•Smith had 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting in the first half, when the Pistons led by as many as 21 points before taking a 58-40 lead into the locker room. They shot 54 percent to

Cleveland’s 28 percent and outscored the Cavs 30-12 in the paint.

•The Cavs pulled within 10 points twice in the third quarter, but the Pistons never let them cut the lead to single digits before finishing the period on a 21-7 run to take an 89-64 lead into the fourth.

•Drummond’s double-double was his 21st this season. That leads the Eastern Conference.

•Jennings had at least 20 points and 10 assists for the fifth time this season.

That’s a career high.

•The 115 points matched the Pistons’ season high and were the most they’ve scored on the road this season.

•Cleveland was 6-for-21 (28.6 percent) on 3-pointers in in the first half but shot just 27.5 percent overall (14for-51).

NEXT GAME What: Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic When: 7 p.m. Friday TV: FSD

ISLANDERS 3, RED WINGS 0

Lowly Islanders dispatch Red Wings

By Ansar Khan

in the NHL and were 4-15-4 in their previous 23 games.

DETROIT — The Detroit But they jumped all over Red Wings were hoping to the Red Wings for three head into the NHL’s three-day unanswered goals in the first Christmas break with some period against Petr Mrazek, traction. Instead, they left the whose defense let him down. ice with tire tracks all across Mrazek started because Jonas their backs.

Gustavsson had a tender A dreadful first period put groin, general manager Ken the Red Wings in a hole they Holland said. could not climb out of, as To make matters worse, the they lost 3-0 to the New York Red Wings lost top-pair defenIslanders at Joe Louis Arena. seman Jonathan Ericsson Evgeni Nabokov made 23 early in the second period saves for his 56th career shut- because of an upper-body out. injury. Ericsson appeared to The reeling Islanders (11-20- hurt his shoulder during a 7) have the third-fewest points collision with Josh Bailey in

akhan1@mlive.com

the first period. He apparently reaggravated checking Matt Martin early in the second.

Ericsson missed 10 games (Oct. 21 to Nov. 12) with a left shoulder subluxation.

The Red Wings (17-13-9) appeared to have momentum after beating Calgary (3-2 in overtime) and Toronto (5-4 in shootout).

Now, this loss will fester for four days until their next game, Saturday at Florida.

The Red Wings applied pressure on Nabokov in the third period, hitting the goal post twice. But they have now been shut out four times this

season.

The Islanders scored three goals in a span of 5:58 in the latter half of the first period to take a 3-0 lead. The shots were 7-6 in favor of the Islanders, but they were more dominant than that, outskating the Red Wings by a significant margin, spending most of the period in the offensive zone, and putting the defense and Mrazek under a lot of pressure.

NEXT GAME What: Detroit Red Wings at Florida Panthers When: 7 p.m.

Saturday TV: FSD

MSU FOOTBALL

Capital One Bowl memory motivates seniors

By Mike Griffith

well versus Alabama.

“So nobody ever put that EAST LANSING — Mark team up there. Even though Dantonio didn’t allow his we were an 11-1 football team, Michigan State football team nobody ever put that season one day to get comfortable up there. I guess it was a great with themselves following 11-win season, but there was the Spartans’ 34-24 victory always an asterisk there. ‘Oh, over Ohio State in the Big Ten yeah, they didn’t do this.’ So championship game Dec. 7. that’s how we define ourLess than 24 hours later, selves.’’

Dantonio was standing before Spartans senior captain a room at the Rose Bowl and middle linebacker Max announcement news conferBullough was in the audience ence, delivering a cautionary as Dantonio spoke, and that tale about how the memory memory of the 49-7 Capital of State’s magical season was One Bowl loss to Alabama has still in the balance. stuck in his head.

“When you finish the seaIt’s the message that son, you finish your last game, Bullough — who was a freshthat’s how you’re going to go man when the Crimson Tide out in your career as a senior,’’ rolled the Spartans — has Dantonio said. “That’s how carried to his teammates you’re going to finish your throughout their bowl prepaseason ... ultimately, you’re ration. sort of defined by that in some “We don’t want anything to ways. As good of season we take away from all the hard had in 2010, we didn’t play work we’ve done,’’ Bullough mgriffith@mlive.com

said to gathered media more than a week after Dantonio planted the seed. “You go back to the last time we won the Big Ten championship (2010) and played the Alabama game, and for me, personally, that took away from the season.

“It does sting, we didn’t play well and we got outplayed.’’

No doubt, the 15th-ranked Crimson Tide pounded the No. 7-ranked Spartans, rushing for 275 yards while holding Michigan State to negative 48 yards rushing on 25 carries and just 12 first downs.

It was 28-0 by halftime of the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, and the Spartans didn’t score until there was 5:45 left, preventing the shutout when Bennie Fowler caught a 49-yard TD pass from Keith Nichol.

The loss ranks as the most lopsided of Dantonio’s sevenyear head-coaching tenure in

East Lansing.

At No. 5, Stanford (11-2) represents the highest-ranked team Michigan State has played in a bowl game under Dantonio.

Bullough and his senior classmates enter the Rose Bowl with a school-record 41 wins.

“No. 1, we’re going to play hard, and we’re going to play well, that’s not even a question,” Bullough said.

“We don’t want to leave this season, and really the past four years, with a negative mark. We want to make it a positive season and be able to say we’ve done it the right way the whole way through.”

NEXT GAME What: Michigan State Spartans vs. Stanford Cardinals When: 5 p.m. Jan. 1 TV: ESPN

MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 / B5

Detroit Lions TUESDAY HUDDLE

Schwartz: Stafford over-aggressive at times

WHAT WE LEARNED

The Lions got what they deserved

By Justin Rogers

jjrogers@mlive.com

ALLEN PARK — When you y have an elite wide receiver, it can give a quarterback an incredible amount of confidence. Sometimes too much confidence.

Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz hedged but offered some rare, specific criticism of Matthew Stafford on Monday, saying the 25-yearold quarterback has been too aggressive at times during the team’s second-half collapse.

“I think there were times in this run where he was overly aggressive,” Schwartz said.

“It’s a tough situation. You’ve got Calvin Johnson. You put the ball up and he can come down with them. That gets confidence up pretty your y good, but not all of them are going to be successful.”

Stafford has turned the ball over 15 times in the second half of the season, including 12 interceptions in the past six games while the Lions have stumbled to a 1-5 mark.

He tacked on two picks in a 23-20 loss to the Giants on Sunday, but Schwartz didn’t

T

s, nor his team won’t be playing in the playoffs, roit been? does it deserve to be. How bad has Detroit s, Green Chicago lost three of its past five games, Bay is 2-4-1 since the start of Novemberr and both still caught the Lions from behind.. Detroit had a fourth-quarter lead in each of its past six games, but won only once. These are all numbers rs you’ve probably already seen, but they tell the tale: Thee Lions had about the easiest path into the postseason any team ted could have had, and still managed to be eliminated as the before the final week of the season. This team has talent to beat anyone, but will be sitting at homee the first weekend in January. That’s exactly where the ed, Lions deserve to be. They got what they deserved, ities. considering the turnovers and blown opportunities.

T

ta he Lions should sit Calvin Johnson against Minnesota ggled in the season finale. The superstar receiver has struggled with knee pain since training camp, causing him to miss or ctices. be limited for 34 of the team’s 47 regular-season practices.

He missed a game against Green Bay, and was reduced to a decoytype role in two others, including Sunday’s game against New York.

He must really be hurting, considering he played only 56 percent ed four of the offensive snaps in a must-win game. He was targeted times, and not once after halftime. He finished with three catches urting for for 43 yards. This guy is the franchise, and he has been hurting four months. With nothing to play for, give Johnson some rest.

R

ver. He eggie Bush’s ball security is a bigger concern than ever. acks go struggled early in the season, certainly, but a lot of backs through ruts. He knew what he had to fix, said all thee right things, ed he wouldn’t demanded accountability — even publicly guaranteed st New York fumble again. Then he lost two more, including one against lf. Detroit that turned into the Giants’ lone touchdown of the first half. ed a comeback. tabbed Joique Bell as the primary back after that, and he led ree points The Lions scored 17 points after halftime, after scoring three with Bush before it, and Bell didn’t fumble once. It’s hard to trust a back who continues to fumble, and it’s not a stretch to think he could be ctify this issue supplanted as the No. 1 back permanently if he doesn’t rectify at damning. in the offseason. Bell is that good, and Bush’s issues are that

Calvin Johnson should sit out next week’s finale at Minnesota after playing injured all season.

(Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

— Kyle Meinke

FROM THE COACH

GRADING THE LIONS ONS

Highlights from Jim Schwartz’s Monday press conference:

Justin Rogers on the team’s ’ 23 23-20 20 overtime i lloss to the h New N York Y k Giants: Gi

•Schwartz said the loss was “tougher to swallow” when the team saw both Green Bay and Chicago had lost.

•The team hasn’t committed to shutting down Calvin Johnson for the season. They’ll see where the receiver gets to this week.

•Schwartz thought about taking a timeout so the officials would review the fourth-and-7 catch in overtime, but the coaches upstairs reported down to the sideline that it looked like a catch.

•On turnovers, Schwartz said they are tough to create, but physical and disciplined play on defense leads to them.

•Schwartz laughed when asked if he’s talked to Martin Mayhew or the Fords today. The coach said he talks to Mayhew every day, but stuck with his philosophy of not sharing details of those conversations.

•Asked about Kurt Warner’s criticism of Stafford’s footwork, Schwartz didn’t have a comment, mostly because he hadn’t heard the comments. The coach said Stafford has done a nice job avoiding sacks, which he said is a sign of good footwork.

•Winning close games comes down to situational football, fundamentals and protecting the football.

Schwartz said the team has lacked consistency in all those areas.

•Schwartz said he didn’t think the team was looking ahead, like linebacker DeAndre Levy implied after the game yesterday.

•Schwartz said his comments weren’t directed at the fans, it was him just venting out loud. He understands that fans want to see a deep ball in that situation, but the coaching staff can’t be influenced into making bad decisions because of crowd reaction.

•Asked if he has regrets, he said he should have kept his frustration in his head and not verbalized it.

QUARTERBACK

RUNNING BACKS

DEFENSIVE LINE

COACHING

F B B+ D Matthew Stafford wasn’t sharp in the first half, routinely throwing into coverage as the Lions scored only three points.

He tossed one interception, but it easily could have been a couple more. Stafford seemed to settle down in the second half, leading the Lions on two touchdown drives to take a sevenpoint lead.

With the game almost in hand, Stafford missed tight end Joseph Fauria on an out route. Giants cornerback Will Hill picked it off and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown.

After Reggie Bush lost yet another fumble, the Lions leaned heavily on Joique Bell. The backup back delivered in a big way, rushing for 91 yards on 20 carries and catching 10 passes for another 63 yards.

Bell gave the offense life in the second half, providing the Lions an opening to win had someone else stepped up to help shoulder the load.

Theo Riddick chipped in a short scoring run. It was the rookie’s first touchdown.

The Lions had a matchup they should have dominated, and overall, it was a solid performance.

Once again, the front four was a force against the run, holding the Giants to 41 yards on 21 carries. The pass rush was inconsistent, but Eli Manning was sacked twice, including once for a safety, and forced into making several bad throws.

The team came out flat, on both sides of the ball.

The Lions have shown they don’t have a contingency plan when Johnson is limited or out.

And if Stafford’s pick-six doesn’t happen, we’re probably easier on the coaches for the way the team responded after the half. But the decision to play for overtime, although risky, was questionable.

And the Lions could have used a timeout to give replay officials a little more time to review the Giants’ fourth-down pass that set up the winning field goal.

blame his quarterback for either throw.

Schwartz defended the quarterback’s decision on the second — a pick-six that tied the game late in the fourth quarter.

“The one to (Joseph) Fauria, that pass is actually designed to go somewhere else, but they took that guy away, and Matt stayed with his progression,” Schwartz said. “He went there, that was taken away, and he went to the tight end matchup versus a linebacker and threw the ball sort of high and outside, away from the defender.

It wasn’t a careless play is what I’m trying to say.”

The key to Stafford busting out of his slump, in Schwartz’s opinion, is to keep throwing.

“I don’t think he needs anything other than to keep playing,” Schwartz said. “I think you have to stick with your fundamentals, and he’s done a really good job of that. You have got to practice well. He’s done a really good job of that.

His preparation has been outstanding. Over the course of time, his talent will show.”

Schwartz

ily booed by the home-town fans. That’s when TV cameras caught him shouting CONTINUED FROM B1 expletives at the crowd. a coach with just one playoff Running down Jim bid in five years, and feel Harbaugh over a rough good about it? handshake? That’s one thing.

The greatest case of all Showing up an opposing might be Matthew Stafford. player? That’s another.

He’s supposed to be the Taking on the hometown franchise quarterback — at fans? That’s career suicide, least that’s how the Lions are especially for a coach known paying him — but he’s not in NFL circles to be ego-drivgetting any better. en and difficult to work with.

He threw two more interSchwartz first denied ceptions against New York, he yelled at fans, claiming including a costly pick-six instead that he was addressthat forced Detroit into the ing his players. But it didn’t overtime. That’s his 12th take a lip-reader to see exactpick in six games, and he’s ly what he was saying, and it reeling. wasn’t pretty. On Monday, he Perhaps a new coach could owned up to it. iron out Stafford’s footwork The losing should and decision-making — and have been enough to fire finally help his elite skill-set Schwartz, if this organization translate to elite quartercares about winning. And backing. even if it weren’t enough, Schwartz has done some that sideline tirade will do good things, to be sure, him no favors when Black including elevating Detroit Monday arrives in six days. out of the horrors of 0-16. He The good news is the presided over a 10-6 season Lions have a core of talent just three years later, and that many teams would envy. that’s commendable.

That core is in its prime and But there’s only so long locked up for next season. you can rest on those laurels.

This is not a rebuilding Detroit is 11-20 the past two project. This team can win seasons and 2-11 in the secbig now, which is precisely ond halves of those seasons. why Schwartz needs to go.

It clearly has hit a wall.

Just think of the baggage “Sometimes there’s a brick his return would carry. wall in front, and you just Every turnover would be have to decide to go through shrouded in scrutiny. Every it,” left guard Rob Sims said. bad outing from Matthew “We just didn’t. We didn’t get Stafford would offer more it done. We didn’t go through catcalls that he isn’t developthe wall.” ing.

The losses are damning Every loss would be magenough, but Schwartz might nified, and engender fear have sealed his own fate at that another was on the the end of regulation against horizon.

New York when he lost his Detroit needs a fresh cool with the fans. start, which means it needs Schwartz elected to run this era to be scrubbed out the final 23 seconds, away. rather than use his two Just like that Lions logo, timeouts to go for a gamewhich, by now, is no longer winning score, and was lust- here.

NOTES •The Detroit Lions dealt some fans a blow one day after a 23-20 loss to the New York Giants eliminated them from playoff contention. People who committed to buying postseason tickets from the Lions received them in the mail Monday.

Team president Tom Lewand confirmed money spent on playoff games will be credited toward season-ticket renewals for the 2014 season.

•Reggie Bush was the Detroit Lions’ marquee offseason acquisition. He was supposed to spark the running and passing games, and when he

wasn’t fumbling, he has.

But he’s fumbled a lot.

Bush lost another, his fourth of the season, in Sunday’s 23-20 overtime loss against the Giants.

And for the second time in six weeks, he was surpassed in the second half by backup Joique Bell.

“It’s very tough,” Bush said after the game. “As a playmaker and as a running back, that’s a cardinal sin, is to turn the ball over and to fumble the ball.

“It’s been a tough year, but we still have one game left. We still have to find a way to get better

and finish this thing strong.”

Bush finished with 12 carries for 34 yards against New York, his worst production since a 37-27 loss against Pittsburgh on Nov. 17. That’s also the last time he was benched in favor of Bell because of ball security issues.

He inked a four-year, $16 million deal with Detroit in the offseason and has had moments of brilliance, but they’ve been interspersed with consistent fumble issues as well. He’s lost four of them, which is a league and career high.

B6 / TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

State Bill Simonson Simons

Why are we still Lions fans?

W

hy is anyone still a Detroit Lions fan?

I’m as frustrated with the organization as I ever have been. The players and coaches share in my blame game. I actually think general manager Martin Mayhew has supplied enough talent to build a winner.

Jim Schwartz has been over his head since he became head coach. His choice of assistants was a warning sign from Day 1.

Watching the Lions’ coaches get schooled on a weekly basis has been almost laughable at times.

The regression of quarterback Matthew Stafford numbs the football soul of Lions fans. He has the physical tools to be great, but his mental state still seems to be that of a rookie.

The “he’s young” excuse drives me nuts when guys are making millions.

Schwartz was hired and Stafford was chosen No. 1 to change the Lions culture in a hurry. Instead, they have taken the Lions and their fans deeper into a black hole of no hope.

Why are we all still fans of the Lions?

Why do we pass this love of heartbreak down to our kids?

At some point, the fans and businesses supporting the Lions need to say enough is enough. Outside of Calvin Johnson, Barry Sanders and a handful of players through the years who actually did care about winning, the Lions have given the fans nothing.

Again, why are we still fans? Someone please explain this to me. I love how some say we have to remain loyal just because the Lions play in our home state. Forget that garbage.

If the players and coaches show no pride in wearing the Lions jersey on gameday, then why should we?

This was the worst season ever to be a Lions fan. The 0-16 season didn’t hurt this much because that team didn’t have the talent of the 2013 Lions.

The Lions are the worst sports franchise in the history of professional sports. No team has ever figured out as many ways to hit rock bottom as our beloved Lions. Cubs fans might fight for the top spot, but they never had the talent this Lions team has.

Why do we keep buying the tickets and gear and believing things can change?

We have spent our money and entire lives supporting mediocrity. We want to pin it all on the Ford family. I want to pile on with the rest of them, but then wonder how a family this bad at running an NFL franchise could find a way to keep the Ford Motor Company running all these years.

I don’t know if there’s a coach and staff out there that can quickly change what Lions fans have endured all their lives.

The bigger issue facing the Lions is can they convince their fan base of anything ever again?

Again, why are we still Lions fans?

— Bill Simonson hosts “The Huge Show,” a sports talk radio show broadcast statewide.

Scoreboard FOOTBALL

SPORTS CALENDAR

NFL

AMERICAN CONFERENCE East y—New England Miami N.Y. Jets

W 11 8 7

Buffalo South y—Indianapolis Tennessee Jacksonville

6 9 W L 10 5 6 9 4 11

0 T 0 0 0

.400 Pct .667 .400 .267

319 PF 361 346 237

354 PA 326 371 419

Houston North y—Cincinnati Baltimore Pittsburgh

2 13 W L 10 5 8 7 7 8

0 T 0 0 0

.133 Pct .667 .533 .467

266 PF 396 303 359

412 PA 288 318 363

Cleveland West y—Denver x—Kansas City San Diego

4 11 W L 12 3 11 4 8 7

0 T 0 0 0

.267 Pct .800 .733 .533

301 PF 572 406 369

386 PA 385 278 324

Oakland

L 4 7 8

T Pct PF PA 0 .733 410 318 0 .533 310 315 0 .467 270 380

4 11

0 .286 308 419

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA Philadelphia 9 6 0 .600 418 360 Dallas 8 7 0 .533 417 408 N.Y. Giants 6 9 0 .400 274 377 Washington South x—Carolina New Orleans

3 12 W L 11 4 10 5

Atlanta Tampa Bay North Chicago Green Bay Detroit Minnesota West x—Seattle San Francisco Arizona St. Louis

0 .200 328 458 T Pct PF PA 0 .733 345 221 0 .667 372 287

4 10 4 11 W L 8 7 7 7 7 8

0 0 T 0 1 0

.286 .267 Pct .533 .500 .467

309 271 PF 417 384 382

388 347 PA 445 400 362

4 10 W L 12 3 10 4 10 5 8 7

1 T 0 0 0 0

.300 Pct .800 .714 .667 .467

377 PF 390 349 359 339

467 PA 222 228 301 337

x—clinched playoff spot y—clinched division WEEK 16 Sunday St. Louis 23, Tampa Bay 13 Indianapolis 23, Kansas City 7 Denver 37, Houston 13 Buffalo 19, Miami 0 Carolina 17, New Orleans 13 Dallas 24, Washington 23 N.Y. Jets 24, Cleveland 13 Cincinnati 42, Minnesota 14 Tennessee 20, Jacksonville 16 Arizona 17, Seattle 10 N.Y. Giants 23, Detroit 20, OT San Diego 26, Oakland 13 Pittsburgh 38, Green Bay 31 New England 41, Baltimore 7 Philadelphia 54, Chicago 11 Monday Atlanta at San Francisco, late WEEK 17

THU

0 9

7 8

DETROIT PISTONS

at Orlando 7 p.m.

FSD

DETROIT RED WINGS

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

MICHIGAN 68, STANFORD 65 SATURDAY

STANFORD (8-3) Huestis 3-11 2-2 9, Powell 5-11 0-0 10, Nastic 5-6 4-5 14, Randle 4-10 10-11 18, Ant. Brown 3-6 0-0 7, Lemons 0-1 0-0 0, Mar. Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Verhoeven 0-0 1-2 1, Gage 2-3 0-0 6. Totals 22-48 17-20 65.

MICHIGAN (7-4) Robinson III 6-10 4-8 17, Horford 1-1 0-0 2, Walton Jr. 2-5 0-0 4, Stauskas 4-11 9-9 19, LeVert 0-7 1-4 1, Albrecht 1-3 2-2 5, Irvin 4-9 0-0 12, Bielfeldt 0-1 0-1 0, Morgan 3-5 2-2 8. Totals 21-52 18-26 68.

Halftime—Michigan 30-27. 3-Point Goals—Stanford 4-10 (Gage 2-2, Ant. Brown 1-1, Huestis 1-2, Lemons 0-1, Randle 0-4), Michigan 8-27 (Irvin 4-8, Stauskas 2-7, Albrecht 1-3, Robinson III 1-4, Walton Jr. 0-2, LeVert 0-3). Fouled Out—Horford, Morgan, Nastic. Rebounds—Stanford 32 (Huestis 10), Michigan 32 (Irvin, Robinson III 6). Assists— Stanford 9 (Powell 3), Michigan 16 (LeVert 5). Total Fouls—Stanford 19, Michigan 22. A—11,039.

MEN’S MAJOR SCORES MONDAY Iowa State 83, Akron 60 Oregon State 58, George Mason 54 Tennessee 82, Morehead State 67 Cincinnati 102, Chicago State 62 Virginia 66, Norfolk State 56

MON

at Wash.

7 p.m.

FSD+

vs. Wash.

7 p.m.

FSD+

at Carolina 7 p.m.

FSD

at Nashville 8 p.m.

FSD

MICHIGAN

SAT vs. Kansas St. vs. Holy Cross 10:15 p.m.

6:30 p.m. ESPN (FB) BTN (BB)

MICHIGAN STATE

vs.

New Orleans 4:15 p.m.

(BB)

TODAY

BASKETBALL

8 p.m. — College: Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Boise St. vs. Oregon St. ESPN

8 p.m. — NBA: Memphis Grizzlies at Houston Rockets. TNT 10:30 p.m. — NBA: Los Angeles Clippers at Portland Trail Blazers. TNT

FOOTBALL

Noon — NBA: Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets. ESPN 2:30 p.m. — NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at New York Knicks. ABC 4 p.m. — College: Diamond Head Classic, Fifth Place game. ESPNU 5 p.m. — NBA: Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers. ABC 6:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Diamond Head Classic, Consolation. ESPN2 8 p.m. — NBA: Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs. ESPN 8:30 p.m. — Men’s College: Diamond Head Classic, Final. ESPN2 10:30 p.m. — NBA: L.A. Clippers at Golden State Warriors. ESPN

6 p.m. — College: Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Bowling Green vs. Pittsburgh.

ESPN 9:30 p.m. — College: S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Northern Illinois vs. Utah State. ESPN

Atlantic Boston Tampa Bay Montreal Detroit Toronto Ottawa Florida Buffalo Metropolitan Pittsburgh Washington Philadelphia N.Y. Rangers New Jersey Columbus Carolina N.Y. Islanders

GP 36 37 38 39 39 39 38 37 GP 39 37 37 38 37 37 37 38

W 24 23 22 17 18 15 14 10 W 27 19 17 18 15 16 14 11

GF 140 125 102 88 101 101 83 GF 127 104 116 106 111 91 95

GA 105 81 83 96 105 110 103 GA 98 71 90 93 110 115 133

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Sunday N.Y. Rangers 4, Minnesota 1 Vancouver 2, Winnipeg 1 Monday N.Y. Rangers 2, Toronto 1, SO Buffalo 2, Phoenix 1, OT Anaheim 3, Washington 2 Columbus 4, Carolina 3 Ottawa 5, Pittsburgh 0 N.Y. Islanders 3, Detroit 0 Tampa Bay 6, Florida 1 Philadelphia 4, Minnesota 1 New Jersey at Chicago, late Boston at Nashville, late St. Louis at Calgary, late Winnipeg at Edmonton, late Dallas at Los Angeles, late Colorado at San Jose, late Today No games scheduled Wednesday No games scheduled

3 0

0 0

0 — 0 —

3 0

First Period—1, N.Y. Islanders, Okposo 12 (Tavares, Vanek), 10:57. 2, N.Y. Islanders, Grabner 5 (Bailey, Nielsen), 15:07. 3, N.Y. Islanders, Cizikas 4 (Martin, McDonald), 16:55. Penalties—None.

Second Period—None. Penalties-None.

Third Period—None. Penalties-Nabokov, NYI, served

by Strome (tripping), 13:11; Bertuzzi, Det (hooking), 16:37.

Shots on Goal—N.Y. Islanders 7-2-10-19. Detroit 6-11-6-23.

Power-play opportunities—N.Y. Islanders 0 of 1; Detroit 0 of 1.

Goalies—N.Y. Islanders, Nabokov 7-6-5 (23 shots-23 saves). Detroit, Mrazek 1-2-0 (19-16).

A—20,066 (20,066). T-2:14.

Referees—Kevin Pollock, Don Van Massenhoven.

Linesmen—Scott Driscoll, Steve Miller.

5 4

BASKETBALL EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic

W

L

Pct

GB

Toronto Boston New York

11 12 9

14 17 18

.440 .414 .333

— 1 3

9 8

18 20

.333 .286

3 4½

Southeast Miami

W 20

L 6

Pct .769

GB —

Atlanta Charlotte

15 14

12 15

.556 .483

5½ 7½

Washington Orlando

12 8

13 20

.480 .286

7½ 13 GB

Central

W

L

Pct

Indiana

23

5

.821

—

Detroit Chicago

14 10

16 16

.467 .385

10 12

Cleveland

10

17

.370 12½

Milwaukee

6

22

.214

17

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest W L Pct

GB

San Antonio

21

6

.778

—

Houston

18

10

.643

3½

Dallas

15

12

.556

6

New Orleans Memphis

11 11

14 15

.440 .423

9 9½ GB

W

L

Pct

Portland

23

5

.821

—

Oklahoma City

22

5

.815

½

Denver Minnesota

14 13

12 15

.538 .464

8 10

8

22

.267

16

W 20

L 9

Pct .690

GB —

Pacific L.A. Clippers

MONDAY

0 — 0 —

1 1

NBA

Utah

31 24

26 —115 28 — 92

Phoenix

16

10

.615

2½

Golden State

15

13

.536

4½

L.A. Lakers

13

14

.481

6

Sacramento

8

18

.308 10½

Sunday Indiana 106, Boston 79 Toronto 104, Oklahoma City 98 L.A. Clippers 120, Minnesota 116, OT Monday New York 103, Orlando 98 Detroit 115, Cleveland 92 Charlotte 111, Milwaukee 110, OT Indiana 103, Brooklyn 86 Atlanta at Miami, late Dallas at Houston, late Utah at Memphis, late Toronto at San Antonio, late L.A. Lakers at Phoenix, late Golden State at Denver, late New Orleans at Sacramento, late Today No games scheduled Wednesday Chicago at Brooklyn, 12 p.m.

Oklahoma City at New York, 2:30 p.m.

Miami at L.A. Lakers, 5 p.m.

Houston at San Antonio, 8 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

33 24

28 29

25 18

28 —114 26 — 97

3-Point Goals—Houston 9-23 (Garcia 4-8, Jones 2-2, Casspi 1-2, Brooks 1-4, Parsons 1-4, Beverley 0-1, Brewer 0-2), Detroit 1-12 (Datome 1-1, Villanueva 0-1, Bynum 0-1, Caldwell—Pope 0-1, J.Smith 0-2, Singler 0-2, Jennings 0-4). Fouled Out—None.

Rebounds—Houston 54 (Howard 19), Detroit 46 (Monroe 11). Assists—Houston 33 (Casspi, Brooks 7), Detroit 22 (Jennings 10). Total Fouls—Houston 19, Detroit 17. Technicals—Bynum, Jennings 2, Detroit defensive three second. Ejected—Jennings.

A—14,606 (22,076).

FBS BOWL SCHEDULE

Detroit won shootout 2-0 First Period—1, Toronto, Franson 2, 7:15. 2, Detroit, Datsyuk 14 (Sheahan, DeKeyser), 8:57. 3, Detroit, Andersson 6 (Alfredsson, B.Smith), 13:18. 4, Detroit, Jurco 2 (Sheahan, Tootoo), 18:08. Penalties—Miller, Det (tripping), 18:56.

Second Period—5, Toronto, Phaneuf 3 (Lupul), 11:45. 6, Toronto, Lupul 11 (Kessel, van Riemsdyk), 18:24 (pp). Penalties—B.Smith, Det (tripping), 4:14; Quincey, Det (high—sticking), 17:06.

Third Period—7, Toronto, Clarkson 3 (McClement, Kulemin), 8:32. 8, Detroit, Tatar 7 (Jurco, Kronwall), 13:44. Penalties—Phaneuf, Tor (interference), 5:25; Lashoff, Det (slashing), 10:23.

Overtime—None. Penalties—None.

Shootout—Detroit 2 (Alfredsson G, Datsyuk G), Toronto 0 (van Riemsdyk NG, Raymond NG).

Shots on Goal—Detroit 12-9-14-3-38. Toronto 7-8-7-1-23.

Power-play opportunities—Detroit 0 of 1; Toronto 1 of 4.

Goalies—Detroit, Gustavsson 10-3-2 (23 shots-19 saves). Toronto, Reimer (12-9), Bernier 10-11-3 (0:00 second, 26-25).

Northwest

ISLANDERS 3, RED WINGS 0

0 2

3 1

Brooklyn Philadelphia

30 22

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

7:30 a.m. — Hull City vs. Manchester United. NBC Sports Network 10 a.m. — West Ham United vs.

Arsenal. NBC Sports Network 12:30 p.m. — Manchester City vs.

Liverpool. NBC Sports Network

SATURDAY

WESTERN CONFERENCE L OT Pts GP W Central Chicago 38 25 7 6 56 St. Louis 35 24 7 4 52 Colorado 35 23 10 2 48 Minnesota 39 20 14 5 45 Dallas 35 17 12 6 40 Winnipeg 38 16 17 5 37 Nashville 36 16 16 4 36 Pacific GP W L OT Pts Anaheim 39 27 7 5 59 Los Angeles 37 25 8 4 54 San Jose 36 22 8 6 50 Vancouver 39 22 11 6 50 Phoenix 36 19 10 7 45 Calgary 36 13 17 6 32 Edmonton 38 11 24 3 25

N.Y. Islanders Detroit

SOCCER

RED WINGS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 4, SO

L OT Pts GF GA 10 2 50 100 75 11 3 49 106 87 13 3 47 96 84 13 9 43 99 108 16 5 41 106 113 17 7 37 111 126 19 5 33 88 123 24 3 23 66 105 L OT Pts GF GA 11 1 55 121 88 14 4 42 117 112 16 4 38 93 104 18 2 38 88 102 15 7 37 90 94 17 4 36 101 106 15 8 36 86 105 20 7 29 96 129

28 18

3-Point Goals—Detroit 10-24 (Singler 2-2, Smith 2-5, Jennings 2-5, Stuckey 1-1, Caldwell-Pope 1-3, Billups 1-3, Datome 1-5), Cleveland 8-28 (Irving 3-6, Clark 2-8, Dellavedova 1-1, Gee 1-4, Miles 1-6, Bennett 0-1, Jack 0-2). Fouled Out—None.

Rebounds—Detroit 64 (Drummond, Monroe 11), Cleveland 53 (A.Bynum 7). Assists—Detroit 27 (Jennings 13), Cleveland 20 (Irving 7). Total Fouls— Detroit 20, Cleveland 16. Technicals—Cleveland delay of game 2. Flagrant Fouls—Drummond.

A—19,215 (20,562).

Houston Detroit

BASKETBALL

Detroit Toronto

Detroit Cleveland

SATURDAY HOUSTON (114) Parsons 9-15 1-1 20, Jones 3-5 0-0 8, Howard 1318 9-14 35, Beverley 3-6 4-4 10, Garcia 6-11 0-1 16, G.Smith 1-3 0-0 2, Brooks 4-10 1-1 10, Casspi 5-9 2-2 13, Brewer 0-2 0-0 0, Motiejunas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 44-79 17-23 114.

DETROIT (97) J.Smith 8-20 3-7 19, Monroe 5-10 0-0 10, Drummond 4-5 1-2 9, Jennings 2-11 4-5 8, Caldwell—Pope 1-3 0-0 2, Singler 5-9 2-2 12, Stuckey 4-9 1-2 9, Bynum 5-12 1-1 11, Villanueva 2-5 2-3 6, Harrellson 0-0 0-0 0, Datome 4-5 0-0 9, Mitchell 0-0 2-4 2, Jerebko 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 40-89 16-26 97.

THURSDAY

FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY

DETROIT (115) Smith 10-18 3-3 25, Monroe 5-10 1-2 11, Drummond 7-10 0-2 14, Jennings 6-11 7-8 21, CaldwellPope 1-6 1-2 4, Stuckey 6-16 1-1 14, Singler 4-9 0-0 10, Billups 1-3 0-0 3, Datome 6-13 0-0 13, Harrellson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 46-96 13-18 115.

CLEVELAND (92) Gee 2-5 2-2 7, Thompson 6-10 5-9 17, A.Bynum 0-11 0-0 0, Irving 7-14 4-4 21, Miles 2-9 1-2 6, Bennett 3-7 1-2 7, Jack 0-6 0-0 0, Varejao 1-1 0-0 2, Dellavedova 4-6 1-2 10, Clark 2-10 0-0 6, Zeller 6-7 1-1 13, Karasev 0-0 0-0 0, Felix 1-2 1-2 3.

Totals 34-88 16-24 92.

ROCKETS 114, PISTONS 97

SPORTS ON TV

EASTERN CONFERENCE

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—N.Y. Giants, A.Brown 16-40, Pascoe 1-2, Cox 2-1, Manning 2-(minus 2). Detroit, Bell 2091, Bush 12-34, Ross 1-16, Riddick 2-8, Stafford 1-(minus 1).

PASSING—N.Y. Giants, Manning 23-42-1-256.

Detroit, Stafford 25-42-2-222.

RECEIVING—N.Y. Giants, Jernigan 6-80, Myers 4-53, Nicks 4-52, Randle 4-40, A.Brown 2-14, Murphy Jr. 2-10, Pascoe 1-7. Detroit, Bell 10-63, Fauria 3-43, Johnson 3-43, Ogletree 2-29, Durham 2-14, Burleson 2-12, Bush 2-10, Dickerson 1-8.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.

SUN

at Minnesota 1 p.m.

Fox

HOCKEY

FIRST QUARTER NYG—FG J.Brown 41, 3:49.

SECOND QUARTER Det—FG Akers 37, 12:38.

NYG—Jernigan 20 pass from Manning (J.Brown kick), 2:19.

NYG—FG J.Brown 52, :09.

THIRD QUARTER Det—Bell 1 run (Akers kick), 9:06.

Det—Fairley safety, 1:01.

FOURTH QUARTER Det—Riddick 2 run (Fauria pass from Stafford), 11:50.

NYG—Hill 38 interception return (J.Brown kick), 4:57.

OVERTIME NYG—FG J.Brown 45, 7:32.

A—63,996.

NYG Det First downs 15 24 Total Net Yards 279 355 Rushes-yards 21-41 36-148 Passing 238 207 Punt Returns 3-23 1-50 Kickoff Returns 1-56 4-55 Interceptions Ret. 2-36 1-0 Comp-Att-Int 23-42-1 25-42-2 Sacked-Yards Lost 2-18 2-15 Punts 6-46.5 6-45.0 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-1 Penalties-Yards 5-30 7-60 Time of Possession 29:43 37:45

SAT

DETROIT LIONS

NHL

3 — 23 0 — 20

MONDAY

FRI

Tennessee-Martin 85, Southern Illinois 55 Grand Canyon 54, Hawaii 51 New Mexico State vs. Cal State Fullerton, late

SUNDAY 10 3

WED

WOMEN’S MAJOR SCORES

GIANTS 23, LIONS 20, OT 3 0

TUE

South Carolina at Boise State, late Northern Arizona at Arizona, late Saint Mary’s at Hawaii, late

Sunday, Dec. 29 Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m.

Green Bay at Chicago, 1 p.m.

Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

Houston at Tenessee, 1 p.m.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m.

Detroit at Minnesota, 1 p.m.

Washington at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.

Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

Denver at Oakland, 4:25 p.m.

Buffalo at New England, 4:25 p.m.

Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m.

San Francisco at Arizona, 4:25 p.m.

Kansas City at San Diego, 4:25 p.m.

St. Louis at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.

Philadelphia at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

N.Y. Giants Detroit

PISTONS 115, CAVALIERS 92

SATURDAY NEW MEXICO BOWL, AT ALBUQUERQUE Colorado State 48, Washington State 45 LAS VEGAS BOWL Southern Cal 45, Fresno State 20 FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL, AT BOISE, IDAHO San Diego State 49, Buffalo 24 NEW ORLEANS BOWL La.-Lafayette 24, Tulane 21 MONDDAY BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S BOWL, AT ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. East Carolina 37, Ohio 20 TODAY HAWAII BOWL, AT HONOLULU Oregon State (6-6) vs. Boise State (8-4), 8 p.m.

(ESPN) THURSDAY LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL, AT DETROIT Bowling Green (10-3) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6), 6 p.m.

(ESPN) POINSETTIA BOWL, AT SAN DIEGO N. Illinois (12-1) vs. Utah St. (8-5), 9:30 p.m.

(ESPN) FRIDAY MILITARY BOWL, AT ANNAPOLIS, MD. Marshall (9-4) vs. Maryland (7-5), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) TEXAS BOWL, AT HOUSTON Minnesota (8-4) vs. Syracuse (6-6), 6 p.m. (ESPN) FIGHT HUNGER BOWL, AT SAN FRANCISCO BYU (8-4) vs. Washington (8-4), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN) SATURDAY, DEC. 28 PINSTRIPE BOWL, AT NEW YORK Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Rutgers (6-6), Noon (ESPN) BELK BOWL, AT CHARLOTTE, N.C. Cincinnati (9-3) vs. North Carolina (6-6), 3:20 p.m. (ESPN) RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL, AT ORLANDO, FLA. Miami (9-3) vs. Louisville (11-1), 6:45 p.m. (ESPN) BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL, AT TEMPE, ARIZ. Kansas State (7-5) vs. Michigan (7-5), 10:15 p.m. (ESPN) MONDAY, DEC. 30 ARMED FORCES BOWL, AT FORT WORTH, TEXAS Middle Tennessee (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4), 11:45 a.m.

(ESPN) MUSIC CITY BOWL, AT NASHVILLE, TENN. Ole Miss (7-5) vs. Geo. Tech (7-5), 3:15 p.m. (ESPN) ALAMO BOWL, AT SAN ANTONIO Oregon (10-2) vs. Texas (8-4), 6:45 p.m. (ESPN) HOLIDAY BOWL, AT SAN DIEGO Arizona State (10-3) vs. Texas Tech (7-5), 10:15 p.m. (ESPN) TUESDAY, DEC. 31 ADVOCARE V100 BOWL, AT SHREVEPORT, LA. Arizona (7-5) vs. Boston College (7-5), 12:30 p.m.

(ESPN) SUN BOWL, AT EL PASO, TEXAS Virginia Tech (8-4) vs. UCLA (9-3), 2 p.m. (CBS) LIBERTY BOWL, AT MEMPHIS, TENN. Rice (9-3) vs. Mississippi State (6-6), 4 p.m. (ESPN) CHICK-FIL-A BOWL, AT ATLANTA Texas A&M (8-4) vs. Duke (10-3), 8 p.m. (ESPN) WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1 HEART OF DALLAS BOWL, AT DALLAS UNLV (7-5) vs. North Texas (8-4), Noon (ESPNU) GATOR BOWL, AT JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Nebraska (8-4) vs. Georgia (8-4), Noon (ESPN2) CAPITAL ONE BOWL, AT ORLANDO, FLA. Wisconsin (9-3) vs. S. Carolina (10-2), 1 p.m. (ABC) OUTBACK BOWL, AT TAMPA, FLA. Iowa (8-4) vs. LSU (9-3), 1 p.m. (ESPN) ROSE BOWL, AT PASADENA, CALIF. Stanford (11-2) vs. Michigan State (12-1), 5 p.m.

(ESPN) FIESTA BOWL, AT GLENDALE, ARIZ. Baylor (11-1) vs. UCF (11-1), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) THURSDAY, JAN. 2 SUGAR BOWL, AT NEW ORLEANS Alabama (11-1) vs. Oklahoma (10-2), 8:30 p.m.

(ESPN) FRIDAY, JAN. 3 ORANGE BOWL, AT MIAMI Ohio State (12-1) vs. Clemson (10-2), 8 p.m.

(ESPN) COTTON BOWL, AT ARLINGTON, TEXAS Missouri (11-2) vs. Oklahoma State (10-2), 7:30 p.m. (FOX) SATURDAY, JAN. 4 BBVA COMPASS BOWL, AT BIRMINGHAM, ALA. Vanderbilt (8-4) vs. Houston (8-4), 1 p.m. (ESPN) SUNDAY, JAN. 5 GODADDY.COM BOWL, AT MOBILE, ALA. Arkansas St. (7-5) vs. Ball St. (10-2), 9 p.m. (ESPN) MONDAY, JAN. 6 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, AT PASADENA, CALIF. Florida State (13-0) vs. Auburn (12-1), 8:30 p.m.

(ESPN)

NCAA FCS PLAYOFFS CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY, JAN. 4, AT FC DALLAS STADIUM, FRISCO, TEXAS North Dakota St. (14-0) vs. Towson (13-2), 2 p.m.

BASEBALL

FREE AGENTS SIGNINGS AMERICAN LEAGUE BOSTON (3) — Signed A.J. Pierzynski, c, Texas, to an $8.25 million, one—year contract; signed Edward Mujica, rhp, St. Louis, to a $9.5 million, two—year contract; re—signed Mike Napoli, 1b, to a $32 million, two—year contract.

CHICAGO (1) — Re—signed Paul Konerko, 1b, to a

$2.5 million, one—year contract.

CLEVELAND (2) — Re-signed Jason Giambi, 1b, to a minor league contract; signed David Murphy, of, Texas, to a $12 million, two-year contract.

DETROIT (3) — Signed Joe Nathan, rhp, Texas, to a $10 million, two-year contract; signed Rajai Davis, of, Toronto, to a $10 million, two-year contract; signed Joba Chamberlain, rhp, New York Yankees, to a $2.5 million, one-year contract.

HOUSTON (3) — Signed Scott Feldman, rhp, Baltimore, to a $10 million, three-year contract; signed Chad Qualls, rhp, Miami, to a $6 million, two-year contract; signed Matt Albers, rhp, Cleveland, to a $2.45 million, one-year contract.

KANSAS CITY (2) — Signed Jason Vargas, lhp, Los Angeles Angels, to a $32 million, four-year contract; signed Omar Infante, 2b, Detroit, to a $30.25 million, four-year contract.

LOS ANGELES (1) — Signed Joe Smith, rhp, Cleveland, to a $15.75 million, three-year contract.

MINNESOTA (3) — Signed Ricky Nolasco, rhp, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $49 million, four-year contract; signed Phil Hughes, rhp, New York Yankees, to a $24 million, three-year contract; signed Jason Kubel, of, Cleveland, to a minor league contract.

NEW YORK (6) — Re-signed Brendan Ryan, ss, to a $5 million, two-year contract; signed Brian McCann, c, Atlanta, to an $85 million, five-year contract; signed Kelly Johnson, inf-of, Tampa Bay, to a $3 million, one-year contract; re-signed Hiroki Kuroka, rhp, to a $16 million, one-year contract; signed Jacoby Ellsbury, of, Boston, to a $153 million, seven-year contract; signed Carlos Beltran, of, St. Louis, to a $45 million, three-year contract.

OAKLAND (2) — Signed Nick Punto, inf, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $3 million, one-year contract; signed Scott Kazmir, lhp, Cleveland, to a $22 million, two-year contract.

SEATTLE (4) — Signed Willie Bloomquist, 2b, Arizona, to a $5.8 million, one-year contract; signed Robinson Cano, 2b, New York Yankees, to a $240 million, 10-year contract; signed Corey Hart, of-1b, Milwaukee, to a $6 million, one-year contract; re-signed Franklin Gutierrez, of, to a $1 million, one-year contract.

TEXAS (3) — Re-signed Geovany Soto, c, to a $3.05 million, one-year contract; re-signed Jason Frasor, rhp, to a $1.75 million, one-year contract; re-signed Colby Lewis, rhp, to a minor league contract.

NATIONAL LEAGUE ATLANTA (1) — Signed Gavin Floyd, rhp, Chicago White Sox, to a $4 million, one-year contract.

CHICAGO (1) — Signed Tsuyoshi Wada, lhp, Baltimore, to a minor league contract.

CINCINNATI (2) — Signed Brayan Pena, c, Detroit, to a $2,275,000, one-year contract; signed Skip Schumaker, 2b, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $5 million, two-year contract.

LOS ANGELES (2) — Signed Dan Haren, rhp, Washington, to a $10 million, one-year contract; re-signed Brian Wilson, rhp, to a $10 million, oneyear contract.

MIAMI (2) — Signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia, c, Boston, to a $21 million, three-year contract; signed Rafael Furcal, ss, St. Louis, to a $3 million, one-year contract.

NEW YORK (3) — Signed Chris Young, of, Oakland, to a $7.25 million, one-year contract; signed Curtis Granderson, of, New York Yankees, to a $60 million, four-year contract; signed Bartolo Colon, rhp, Oakland, to a $20 million, two-year contract.

PHILADELPHIA (4) — Signed Marlon Byrd, of, Pittsburgh, to a $16 million, two-year contract; re-signed Carlos Ruiz, c, to a $26 million, three-year contract; signed Wil Nieves, c, Arizona, to a $1,125,000 one-year contract; signed Roberto Hernandez, rhp, Tampa Bay, to a $4.5 million, one-year contract.

PITTSBURGH (2) — Signed Edinson Volquez, rhp, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $5 million, one-year contract; re-signed Clint Barmes, ss, to a $2 million, one-year contract.

ST. LOUIS (2) — Signed Jhonny Peralta, ss, Detroit, to a $53 million, four-year contract; signed Mark Ellis, 2b, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $5.25 million, one-year contract.

SAN FRANCISCO (4) — Signed Tim Hudson, rhp, Atlanta, to a $23 million, two-year contract; resigned Javier Lopez, lhp, to a $13 million, three-year contract; re-signed Ryan Vogelsong, rhp, to a $5 million, one-year contract; signed Michael Morse, of, Baltimore, to a $6 million, one-year contract.

WASHINGTON (2) — Signed Nate McLouth, of, Baltimore, to a $10.75 million, two-year contract; signed Chris Snyder, c, Baltimore, to a minor league contract.

REMAINING FREE AGENTS AMERICAN LEAGUE BALTIMORE (4) — Alexi Casilla, 2b; Jason Hammel, rhp; Brian Roberts, 2b; Francisco Rodriguez, rhp.

BOSTON (4) — Stephen Drew, ss; Joel Hanrahan, rhp; John McDonald, ss; Matt Thornton, lhp.

CLEVELAND (3) — Rich Hill, lhp; Ubaldo Jimenez, rhp; Kelly Shoppach, c.

DETROIT (5) — Joaquin Benoit, rhp; Jeremy Bonderman, rhp; Octavio Dotel, rhp; Ramon Santiago, 2b; Jose Veras, rhp.

KANSAS CITY (4) — Bruce Chen, lhp; Carlos Pena, 1b; Ervin Santana, rhp; Miguel Tejada, 2b.

MINNESOTA (1) — Mike Pelfrey, rhp.

NEW YORK (5) — Travis Hafner, dh; Lyle Overbay, 1b; Andy Pettitte, lhp; Mark Reynolds, 1b-3b; Mariano Rivera, rhp.

OAKLAND (2) — Grant Balfour, rhp; Kurt Suzuki, c.

SEATTLE (6) — Endy Chavez, of; Raul Ibanez, of; Kendrys Morales, dh; Oliver Perez, lhp; Humberto Quintero, c; Joe Saunders, lhp.

TAMPA BAY (5) — Jesse Crain, rhp; James Loney, 1b; Fernando Rodney, rhp; Jamey Wright, rhp; Delmon Young, of.

TEXAS (3) — Lance Berkman, dh; Nelson Cruz, of; Matt Garza, rhp.

TORONTO (3) — Munenori Kawasaki, ss-2b; Darren Oliver, lhp; Ramon Ortiz, rhp.

NATIONAL LEAGUE ATLANTA (7) — Luis Ayala; rhp; Scott Downs, lhp; Freddy Garcia, rhp; Reed Johnson, of; Kameron Loe, rhp; Paul Maholm, lhp; Eric O’Flaherty, lhp.

CHICAGO (3) — Scott Baker, rhp; Kevin Gregg, rhp; Matt Guerrier, rhp.

CINCINNATI (6) — Bronson Arroyo, rhp; Shin-Soo Choo, of; Zach Duke, lhp; Cesar Izturis, ss; Nick Masset, rhp; Manny Parra, lhp.

COLORADO (4) — Rafael Betancourt, rhp; Jeff Francis, lhp; Todd Helton, 1b; Roy Oswalt, rhp LOS ANGELES (6) — Chris Capuano, lhp; Jerry Hairston Jr., 3b; J.P. Howell, lhp; Carlos Marmol, rhp; Juan Uribe, 3b; Michael Young, 3b.

MIAMI (4) — Matt Diaz, of; Austin Kearns, of; Juan Pierre, of; Placido Polanco, 3b.

MILWAUKEE (2) — Yuniesky Betancourt, 1b; Mike Gonzalez, lhp.

NEW YORK (7) — David Aardsma, rhp; Tim Byrdak, lhp; Pedro Feliciano, lhp; Frank Francisco, rhp; Aaron Harang, rhp; Daisuke Matsuzaka, rhp; Johan Santana, lhp.

PHILADELPHIA (1) — Roy Halladay, rhp.

PITTSBURGH (4) — John Buck, c; A.J. Burnett, rhp; Kyle Farnsworth, rhp; Jeff Karstens, rhp.

ST. LOUIS (2) — Chris Carpenter, rhp; Jake Westbrook, rhp.

SAN DIEGO (3) — Ronny Cedeno, ss; Mark Kotsay, of; Jason Marquis, rhp.

SAN FRANCISCO (3) — Chad Gaudin, rhp; Andres Torres, of; Barry Zito, lhp.

— The Associated Press; all times Eastern

GLANTZ-CULVER LINE

NCAA FOOTBALL

TODAY HAWAII BOWL Oregon St. 1½ 3 (64) Boise St. THURSDAY LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL Bowling Green 5 ½ 4 ½ (50) Pittsburgh POINSETTIA BOWL N. Illinois 2 1 ½ (58) Utah St. FRIDAY MILITARY BOWL Marshall 1 2 ½ (62 ½) Maryland TEXAS BOWL Minnesota 4 ½ 4 (47 ½) Syracuse FIGHT HUNGER BOWL Washington 3 3 (60) BYU SATURDAY PINSTRIPE BOWL Notre Dame 15 ½ 14 (52 ½) Rutgers BELK BOWL North Carolina 3 2 ½ (57 ½) Cincinnati RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL 3 3 ½ (57) Miami Louisville BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL Kansas St. 3 3 ½ (55) Michigan DEC. 30 ARMED FORCES BOWL Navy 6 ½ 6 ½ (55 ½) Middle Tenn.

MUSIC CITY BOWL Mississippi 2 ½ 3 (57 ½) Georgia Tech

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CHRISTMAS DAY DEADLINES: Publication Date Deadline Wed., Dec. 25 . . . . Tues., Dec. 24, 2:00 pm Thurs., Dec. 26 . . . Tues., Dec. 24, 3:00 pm

Our office will reopen on Thursday, December 26, at 8:00 a.m.

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Our office will reopen on Thursday, January 2, at 8:00 a.m.

Ads may be placed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the web at www.mlive.com

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ARS MPORTS YORKIEPOO PUPPIES - very sweet, smart, family raised, 1st shots, and vet checked, ENGLISH MASTIFFS - AKC 2 females, 4 males, & 1 1/2 yr HONDA 2001 ACCORD - 6cyl, English mastiffs $800.00 for old trained female, health 1 owner, garage kept, loaded, males, $1000.00 for fespotless inside and out, all guaranteed! 616-878-1988 males. Will be 6 weeks on maintenance up to date, 264k christmas eve. If interested YORKIE PUPPIES - AKC, hwy miles, $3000. Please Call: call or text 989-287-0273 home raised, puppies guaran- 616-378-0300. teed, 1st shots, 18 weeks, $550. Cute as a button! Give the gift of love for Christmas.

231-873-1922

Ads placed after business hours will be processed the next available business day.

Email classified ads to muclassifieds@mlive.com Email obituaries only to muobits@mlive.com

EMPLOYMENT

4752985-01

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE Selling Out to the Bare Walls!

All Items 50% GERMAN SHEPHERD PUP Discount. Please call Warner P I E S - AKC puppies (8), fa- Schuitema 231-722-2292 ther: blk sable, mother: slv; parents on site. $500 each. or 616-846-3953.

Black Female, 6 years old. $1000. Call (616) 318-4069

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MERCHANDISE

ADOPTIONS

FIREWOOD & HEATING SUPPLIES

A devoted couple dreams of APPLE OR Mixed Firewood. 1-2 adopting a newborn. We yr seasoned/split, delivery promise a lifetime of LO VE, 616-262-3160, 231-853-2745 LAUGHTER & LEARNING .

Expenses pd. Michelle & Rob 888-704-1977

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PUBLIC NOTICE

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MU 12/24

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ANDY’S TREE SERVICE Winter Mona Lake Boat Club Discounts. Insured. 773-4164 Serving Lunch 11:30-1 Weds. Special-Hamburgers APPLIANCES & all scrap Thurs. Special- French Dip metal, free haul. 767-8263.

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MOVES YOU IN!

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act, the Michigan Civil Rights Act, and the Grand Rapids Municipal Code which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, familial status, age, marital status, source of lawful income or public assistance recipient status, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

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HOMES UNFURNISHED HOUSES FOR RENT - C a ll Bolemas, 231-773-3391.

Reeths-Puffer - 3 bed, basement $750; 3 bed $650; 2 bed $595; Fruitport - 3 bed, basement $725; Whitehall 3 bed $650.

MARAMEMBER RENTALHOUSING

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Rent from Professionals.

Muskegon Area Rental Housing Association (MARA) members have access to legally approved leases, GLENSIDE 2 bdrms starting at certification programs, continuing $700 PARK TERRACE APTS education for licensed real estate M-F 9-6 Sat. 10-2 professionals and much more! www.parkterraceapartment homes.com 231-759-1449 EHO MARA members must also adhere to the association’s Code of Ethics.

MARA is an Affiliate member of the Rental Property Owners Association of Kent County.

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Holiday Tree And Gift Guide

NEED NEW WINDOWS? Glass block & vinyl replacement windows. Lifetime To Be Included In This Feature Call 616.222.5555 warranty. K&S Services, or 800.878.1511 231-722-8511 SNOW BLOW ER Tune-ups CLAY AVENUE CELLARS 611 W Clay, Muskegon & Repair All makes/models. Winter Solstice Celebration all wine until Jan 20 Pickup/del available. West 30% off Call (231) 722-3108 clayavenuebrewing.com Mi Small Engine 798-8700.

We sell beer making supplies!

SNOWPLOWING Muskegon area leave a message Advertise your tree Your sports. farm, sleigh rides, (231) 343-1415. handcrafted gifts and By all means. holiday events here!

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MAINTENANCE TECH - R.W. OKEMOS MI based Anselmo Bakers creates bakery prod- Gallery is for sale! Unique ucts for restaurants and food 60 year old art collection of service industry. We are cur- Framed Art, Crystal, wood rently seeking qualified main- sculptures & much more! tenance technicians for 2nd Entire store or individual and 3rd shift to perform rou- pieces. Visit our website tine tasks to maintain, repair, www.anselmogallery.com & and improve the machinery, call to make appointment! etc. One year of mechanical (517) 332-7777. experience. Starting pay $10$13/hr. Please submit your resume to mhawley@rwbakers.com

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APARTMENTS NIMS NEIGHBORHOOD 1 bedroom $505 plus utilities 2 bedroom $605 plus utilities No Pets. 1199 W. Grand RKP Management (231) 798-1181 rkpmgt.com

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Hesperia Community Schools has the following openings for the Section 105c Schools of Choice plan for the second semester of the 2013-2014 school year.

Students from any district in an ISD that is contiguous to the Newaygo County RESA are eligible to make application to the Superintendent’s office. Applications will be accepted until January 20, 2014 at 3:30 p.m.

K-12 grade-Unlimited Openings. Forms are available on the district website www.hesp.net or can be mailed by contacting the superintendent’s office at (231) 854-6185.

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make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, familial status, age, marital status, source of lawful income or public assistance recipient status, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. To report discrimination, call the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 1-800-669-9777. The HUD TTY telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-212-708-1455.

GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPSNISSAN 2006 SENTRA - 1.8 NOWMOBILES AKC, 5 females, 4 males, saS Sp. Edition Pkg, Excellent ble, blacks, tan & white, born CCESSORIES Car, newer tires & battery, on 11/8/2013, $500/obo Carfax info available. Well Christmas pupies. (616) 970- SKI DOO - 2 0 0 3 REV 800, taken care of 213-755-0855 3914 $3500. Arctic Cat - 2001 ZL Mike. $5,000 OBO 500 Deluxe, $1800. Arctic Cat OMES GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPS1998, EXT 580, $1500. 1972 TOYOTA 2008 YARIS, 65,500 CKC registered, great guard Arctic Cat Puma, 292, neat miles.

OFFICERS One owner, great SECURITY dogs, great Christmas gifts, little sled, $750. 1973 John shape, gas mileage 35-40 Securitas Security Services is GREENRIDGE REALTY, INC. proven cross. $400, serious Deere 600, restored, $900. mpg, regular oil changes, new seeking security minded indiwww.greenridge.com inquires only. Call (269) 746- All Sleds are in exceptional tires and brakes. Please call viduals to work full or part (231)830-3000 4314 time in M u s k e g o n . Please condition! 269-317-3159 231-744-8588. apply online at LAKESIDE SCHOOL AREA LAB PUPPIES - AKC, Black & TOYOTA 2002 CAMRY - sil- www.securitasjobs.com and 2 bdrm, 1 bath, bungalow, Chocolate, Hunters or Pets, ver, good shape, very good choose the Grand Rapids, MI remodeled, newer windows, Shots, Wormed, Dew-Clawed, starter car, 250,000 miles, location. Wages start at $9 main floor laundry, garage, Health Guarantee, $295/$395. $2,500 obo. Please Call (231) p/hr. EOE private fenced backyard. AskPlease call (616) 874-6281 557-3267 ing $42,900. (231) 755-8001 LAB PUPPIES - AKC, Yellow, adorable, fuzzy, block heads, Foreclosures, Land Contracts, 1st shots, & wormed, dew SKI DOOS - Formula S model, OTORCYCLES We’re Your Local EXPERTS! claws removed, ready to & Touring LE (electric start), FREE list avail. 231-773-4300 ERVICE go for Christmas. $450. Very both 380 engines, both have ROBERT RANDS Cute! Call: 269-929-0410 adjustable back rest, very Home Selling Team nice condition, w/ trailer & M O T O R C Y C L E - 1997 Vulcan Your home. By all means.

PLATINUM REALTY GROUP LAB PUPS - AKC, English covers, snowmobile dolly, and Classic 1500, pearl white w/ platinumlakeshore.com lots of chrome, 50k mi., block heads, gorgeous, all oil. $2,195. 231-744-2767 $3000/obo. Call (231) 740colors. Champion lines, vet/ shots, Also older Labs avail.; SNOWMOBILE & TRAILER - 1313 leave message. mlive.com/realestate Very Experienced in Raising!

(2) Arctic Cat, 1994 ZR700, 810-638-7265 / 810-955-8905 3,800 mi. studded; 1993 Cougar 440 4,200 mi, studded; LABS - AKC, Black lab puppies 3 males, Hunting background. RNR aluminum covered trailRaised in home setting, er, all in excellent condition; Ready now. $450; Call (231) $3,300 Call (616) 842-0415 773-9269 or (231) 830-7000 www.Labs-Forever.com

A D O P T - A devoted couple, home filled with love. A OUSEHOLD OODS ETS UPPLIES secure future awaits your newborn. Exp. Pd. Jen & Marc AMISH LOG HEADBOARD 1-866-295-4446.

And Queen pillowtop mattress set, new in plastic, with frame, must sell! $275. Call ! ADOPTION: ! Popular 989-953-4400 College Counselor & School Admin, Travel, Museums, Sports await 1st baby.

Expenses Paid. 1 -8 0 0 - 5 1 3 A U S S I E D O O D L E S - F1B, 0931. !Annie & David !

BEDS! BEDS! BEDS - New med. size, no shed, all colors, mattresses, shipping damage, $950. Call (269) 214-8414 Kings from $199, Queens from $150; Fulls from $125.

S H I H T Z U MIX Dandanthemattressman.com BICHON PUPS- (Teddy bear). Shots, 989-772-1517 ERSONALS dewormed, home raised, good w/ children, $350 ea. Call 616633-8440.

My husband needs a kidney donor. Please give the gift of MALTESE PUPPIES - allergy life and call (989) 894-6050.

COLLIE - Free to free, shed free, AKC regisM attress Temper Pedic mem- BORDER Home, Border tered, 2 born 10/9/13, kitty ory foam weightless sleep Good system, queen. Cost $1800 Collie,Two years old, Has had litter and papered trained all shots and fixed. I can no plus 1 female 5 lbs, 1 yr old, brand new. Sacrifice $695! longer take care of her. good females $800, male $700. Call Dandanthemattressman.com with kids. Call 231 563-6577 989-773-5582 (269) 665-9225

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YORKIES - AKC , tea cup size; RIVERS Yorkie Poos , tea cup & toy; M orkies, toy; & Cockapoos; RANSPORTATION Adorable, non-shed puppies, ENGLISH MASTIFFS - Xmas, Shots, family owned, health MERCEDES 2014 ML350 AKC, 3 M 2 F left, Fawn, first guaranteed. 616-443-6004 W4.

Recently purchased TRUCK DRIVER Commercial shots, de-wormed, **AKC** ML350, metallic steel /Residential Trash Route . ready 12/24 call/text 616grey/black interior, loaded, Requirements: Class B CDL, 822-9545 or 630-862-4584 Eucalyptus wood trim, Valid DOT Medical Card. jbart0016@hotmail.comPRICE Harman/Kardon surround Clean driving record. Send re$1,300 sound, Lane tracking and sume: Kuerth’s Disposal, PO blind spot assist, Comand Box 438, Twin Lake MI 49457 ENGLISH SETTER PUPS with Navigation, heated powready Christmas Eve, FDBS er seats, rearview camera. grouse breeding, great pets, Paid $60,000, sell for $55,000, shots and wormed, up to Call 616-940-3161 ENERAL ELP ANTED date. males and females Please Call (616) 874-9099

T

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COCKER PUPS - AKC, vet MALTESE PUPS - $550-$600.

DENTAL ASSISTANT - Our checked, shots, health guar- TOY POODLES, Males, $475. dental team is looking for a antee, micro chiped, excep- M A L T I P O O female, $375. new member. Ideal candidate tional $475-$575. Please call Taking deposits. Ready for would be an RDA who is a (616) 984-2132 X-MAS. All CKC & 1st Shots. great communicator, self Call: 616-935-7205 starter, loves people, believes COCKER SPANIEL PUPPIES in dentistry, and enjoys learnOld-style. Great tempera- MALTI-POOS PUPS- Males & ing. We offer a 4 day work ment, first shots. $300. females, home raised, 1st week, paid holidays, lunch, BUICK 2007 RENDEZVOUS For more info & photos, go to shots. Little cuties ready to $11,750. One owner 6 cylinder vacation, 401K, and uniforms. www.countrymeadowcockers go! Call (616) 690-1325. front wheel drive. Garaged, Interested in joining our high .com 231-832-2354. well maintained, only 56,000 tech, enthusiastic team, send MINIATURE PINSCHER miles. Memory leather seats resume to: DOBERMAN PUPS - AKC, AKC, 6 weeks old, 1 chocolate & mirrors. 2nd and 3rd roll RDAWANTED@yahoo.com born 11/24, parents on site, female, 3 black & rust female, seating.Call 231- 744-1861 ARS OMESTIC 11 adorable pups, 5 females, 1 male, 10 months old, chocoRNS OR LPNS - 3 days/wk. 2 6 males, taking pre-orders late, $250. Call (269) 929CHEVY 2006 EQUINOX LT Phone triage Nurses needed Sunday, welcome to visit.

4096 Pediatrician’s office.

CHEVROLET 2010 MALIBU - AWD, 2006 CHEVY EQUI- in $700-800 (616) 225-2457 Please send resume to 3535 LTZ, V6, Loaded with leather SHELTIE - Registered. Beauti- interior, black. Low miles, ex- NOX LT AWD Loaded, Excel- Park St., Suite 101, Musful markings. Ready for cellent condition, $12,900 lent Shape, 132,200 miles, kegon, MI 49444.

Christmas! Purebred pups OBO. Call (989) 652-8619 or SELL BY FRIDAY-- DEC 13-$7495.00 616-846-2817 (papers) Parents on site, 5 (989) 274-2936. male 3 female 989-285-6204 FORD 2007 EXPLORER - EdCHEVY 2013 IMPALA LT w/ 21k mi., gray, sunroof, fac- die Bauer, 4 door, 4x4, 127k, tory warranty, $16,500 OBO. leather seats, very well equipped, very well mainCall 269-760-2205. tained, very good cond.

ENGLISH BLOCKHEADS AKC $10,900. (616) 837-7088.

Choc and Black large pups.

Taking deposit ready January 15th. Shots, dew claws removed, health quaranteed. $400. Call 269-521-3544 TINY TOY POODLES . AKC, 2 ANS liters 10 WKS., (creams, 1m, ENGLISH MASTIFF PUPS2f) and (red f, black f) Shots, AKC, 8 weeks old, 1 Brindle dewormed, dew claws reHONDA 2003 ODYSSEY EX male, 3 Brindle females, 3 moved, and tails docked. Call All the extras, power doors, CHEVY 1985 MONTE CARLO Fawn females, $800 ea. 517-206-7784 seats, 4 new Michelins, new SS - White, Burgundy Inter. battery, tranny excellent, car Please Call (810) 347-5515 54K orig miles.

Orig No texts please in great shape, 157K, $4,600 WEST HIGHLAND TERRIER 305.Restored body and paint P U P S - AKC, family raised, job. Many new items. $10,500 (616) 283-4692 All real estate advertising in this very socialized, good with OBO Ben 616-437-7660 newspaper is subject to the Federal children. Parents on site Fair Housing Amendments Act, the $650-$750. Ready to go!

Michigan Civil Rights Act, and the 989-846-0929 / 989-387-0772 Grand Rapids Municipal Code which

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BANK - Budweiser "57" Chevy metal $30; Collectors plates, American made with pictures of the flag, an eagle & the statue of liberty, gold edges, signed by the artist $30.

(269) 324-9425 please leave message if no answer.

BATH ROBES - LL Bean, never been worn, 1 womens, light blue, XL, 1 mens burgundy w/navy blue trim XL, retail both $130, selling only for $45 for both. Golf shoes, Nike Air, womens, 9.5, like new, $30. Call (231) 670-1119 BICYCLE - Fugi all mountain, large frame full suspension, 27 speed, 6in travel front and back, deeoer drive train, hydraulic disc brakes, excellent condition, $300. Please Call (269) 680-1109.

BIKE - Women’s 1970 Huffy $45; Sewing Machine, antique 1891, Singer, cast iron base, with wooden cabinet, $180; Three estate remnants- decorative glass, bears, candles, crystal, paintings, sewing, all for $90. 231-744-3436.

BOOKS - (10) large print books, best sellers, all $12; Mens navy snomobile suit, XL, $7; American Legion hat, Holton 397, like new, $7. Call (231) 773-3861.

BOOTS - Harley Davidson Original, ankle strap and chain, oil resistant, size 9, Original, $190; A1, $90; Men’s Brahma design boot, brown, w/ stitching, size 9, mint, Hockey Equipment - Hockey Goalie Leg Pads and Gloves $75; Call (231) 903-3344 Good Condition $185.00.

BUNK BEDS - still in plastic. 2 Weider Home Gym plus CurlBunky boards & 2 mattresses, ing Bar and Weights . $185.00 wood frame is used, includes Machinists Tool Box $150.00. aluminum ladder, Save $100. 231-777-7722 Selling for $295/obo. Please ICE FISHING SHANTY - 1 man call 231-744-2186 fish trap, good shape, $80.

C A B IN E T - metal w/ key and Call (231) 766-2319. middle shelf, $80/obo. Muskegon Area (623) 451-3818 J A C K E T - Nascar #14, Office Depot, never worn, size M, CAKE STAND - Large, square, $60. 231-747-9490 still in box, on pedestal $20; Round cake stands, all on JACKETS - & Leather Coats , pedestals, $10 each; Christ- several sizes, medium - large, mas tree, table model, ceram- very good condition, $25/ea. ic, w/ lights, $25; Records, 231-329-6162 45s, $1 each. Please Call JACKETS - with painted car(517) 788-2620. toon characters on back, $40.

CAMP PATCHES- Boy Scout Womens 2x Waist Jacket for from Camp Tapico, Camp $85, Paid $225. Call Becky, Grasslake & Pinelake Camp. 231-893-6490 Camp Flint. Willing to pay up to $20. call (810) 240 0979 MERCURY 1994 COUGAR. Motor blown on Grandmas CELEBRITY PICTURES - 8 X car. Bought in Florida, OD. 10 frame, Beatles, Elvis, show 87000 + miles. New rear Marilyn Monroe, Bob Marley, tires. $750.00 Phone calls Ozzy, Eric Clapton, Eminem, only (231) 720-9693 NO Kid Rock, Ali vs Frazier, TEXTS Johhny Cash, Taylor Swift, $6 or 2 for $10, great for Christ- MOTOR SCOOTER - like new, mas. Call (231) 855-0875 only 60 miles, 50mph, 91mpg, $1395. FREEZER, like new, CHAIR- green glider, like new, $295. Shappell Ice fishing partially wood, $100. Call shanty, $95. All OBO. Call: (231) 739-5573 231-747-6194 CHESS SET - (1) beautiful MOUNTED CANADIAN 26" walnut & maple board, by G O O S E in fight $85, wood the legendary Dreuke; (1) 28" ducks $35 a piece, kero heat green & white vinly board; (1) CV2230 heater $45, Homelite 6" set staunton rosewood & banit Chain saw 14" excellent maple chess pieces, all mint, $65. 8 fluorescent lights 220 $275/obo. Call (616) 784-3654 volt nice for pole barn or gaor (616) 516-9621 (cell) rage $20 a piece 773-0297.

CHRISTMAS BOX - Mr. Christ- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS mas older Christmas box, w/ (5) Pianos, $50-$300. (5) Anbells and skating scene, 10 tique pump organs, $50-$300. metal music disc, $75; Old (5) Accordions, $50-$300. wood box, w/ Rogers Onieda Banjo $250. Clarinet and silver plate silverware, over Flute, $150 each. Dulcimer, 100 pieces, $75. 269-908-8055 $175. Willing to deliver. Call Hastings.

269-945-9672 Hastings area.

CHRISTMAS PLATES NINTENDO WII - still in box, Ethan Allen, clear 12" glass, w/ different holiday designs, w/24 games + 2, all accessories, (2) controllers, also in1981 - 1987, never used, $40; cludes bat, racket & others, Please call (269) 668-7706 $275. Great Chirstmas gift!

CHRISTMAS TREE - Artifi- Call (616) 608-5080 cial, 9.5ft., w/stand, $40.

Mink cape, $100. Child car R E C L IN E R - electric orthopeseat, $25. Third seat for dic lift chair, blue, great windstar van, $20. Ping Pong shape, $400. 231-733-7737 table, $50. 269-679-4206 R E C O R D S - 22 Elvis, 59 BeeCHRISTMAS TREE - artificial tles all LP’s, only asking $150 w/stand 9.6 ft, lights & bulbs, for all. Please call (231) 894U-hull, $75. Please Call (231) 4762 (in Montague) 563-3683 R E F R IG E R A T O R - Frigidaire, side by side, water & ice inCHRISTMAS TREES - (2) door, great condition, white, Artificial, 6’, green, full, ex- asking $125. Call (231) 767cellent condition, w/ stands, 3267 in box, $40/ea; Nail Genee, Professional nail machine, ex- SEWING MACHINE cellent condition, $50. Please Husqvarna Viking, w/ case call (231) 828-4366 and manual, like new. Makes COFFEE TABLE - with 2 an excellent gift, $235. Call matching end tables, solid (231) 773-2381. oak, $225 (Paid $1,150); Solid Oak quilt display rack - $20; Shuffleboard - great condition, great gift, $50; HP laser jet 616-949-6859 print cartridge 09X, never COMPUTER - Desktop, key- opened, $50; HP color laser board, and mouse. Windows 7 jet K, never opened, $25; HP Prof. $125; Paperback books - laser jet print cartridge 92A, All kinds, 25c each; Ring - 5 $25. Call (231) 834-8719 stone, white sapphire, size 6, SKIS - Men’s downhill $125; Call (231) 670-9788 Dynastar, size 185 $20; Ski COM PUTER-Hewlett-Packard, Boots, women’s, downhill duo core laptop, Windows 7, Nordica, size 8 $10; Desk & wireless wifi, cd-dvd, 2gb chair for student $20; TV, Soram, 80gb hard drive, fast and ny, 13"inch $10. Please call (231) 286-8475 clean, $130, (616) 433-5291

WALKER - with wheels, includes basket $75; Shower chair, $25; Portable toilet chair $25; all never used. Call (231) 777-9988 WOOD STOVE - w/blower, $75. 231-286-9664

MOONLIGHT BARGAINS ABC SNOW PLOWING Roof Ice and Snow Remov al. Reasonable Rates. Senior Discounts. Also Junk Removal. Call (231) 767-8263.

A P P L I A N C E S & all types of scrap metal. FREE Haul away.

Also free removal from Basements, etc. Also, paying $300 for junk autos. 231- 286-4372.

AUTOMOBILES- 4x4’s, vans, heavy equip., mowers, farm equip., semis, etc! All scrap metal! Pay cash. 616-2623160, 231-853-2745 AUTOS - Abandoned Vehicles, wrecks, repairables, and Ski Doos wanted. Will pay up to $800! Call: (616) 292-6808 AUTOS - Always Wanted Dead or Alive! Mr Wrecker pays Ca$h for Car$. Please Call 616-589-4641 AUTOS - Any and all wanted $250 for most cars/trucks, SUV’s running or not. FREE TOWING! 616-635-0522.

AUTOS - BUYING cars running or not. FREE TOWING. If you want it gone call us. Min $200 up to $600 most. Buying any kind of metals. Paying cash. Call (616) 632-4363

DIABETIC TEST STRIPS For folks without insurance.

UP TO $25/100 ct. box Local pick up - cash payment Area’s oldest, most trusted.

Bob, The Test Strip Guy 616-298-8556 MILITARY UNIFORMS wanted - WWII, WWI, Civil War, mens and womens, will also buy military equipment. Paying up to $500. 616-916-8271 OLD POCKET WATCHES Wind up wrist watches, old wall clocks and mantel clocks, working or not, up to $500.

Call George at (616) 916-8271 WANTED GUN RELOADING EQ UIP M EN T - Bullets, dies, presses, ammo, old guns, parts, gunsmithing. Cash paid up to $5,000. 517-623-0416

WANTED, BARGAIN COMIC BOOKS — Buying large or small collections, up to $10/book. (231) 798-3097.

GUNS, WANTED TO BUY Rifles or shotguns, upto $500 or more. Please call Bob at (231) 744-0245.

C O U C H - black, leather $250. SLED - $45 Door - $8. Chain R EC L INER - black, leather fence - $30. Twin Bed - $30. $125. 1968 Speedway mini Organ - Hammond, $25. Orbike frame, $100. Please call gan - Kimball, $25. Please call (231) 744-2243 or 670-9557.

231-750-0678

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ANTIQUES - Oak Rocker $70; Drop Leaf table w/ 2 chairs $50; Double bed frame $50; Office Chair $50; Cane back chairs $25; Frame $20; Mirror $25; Wicker table w/ 4 chairs $100; Collectables $5-$20; Doll $45. Cash (616) 822-3436

DOLLS - Beautiful, homemade, SNOWMOBILE TRAILER - Triunbreakable, dressed really ton, aluminum, deluxe model, nice, $40. Call (231) 788-2318 101in x 10ft. $1500 new, sell for $750. Call (231) 773-2381.

DR ES S ER - antique 6 drawer, Walnut finish, $250; Coffee SPACE HEATER - EdenPure table, solid oak Amish made, heater, refurbished, unopened Cost $300, asking $150; Curio box, $110 obo. Please Call Cabinet, oak, $150; Glider (231) 780-1986 Rocking Chair, $50; Afghan, handmade, $35; TV, RCA STAR WARS - Hallmark Orna21in. $40. 616-784-3901 ment collection, all mint, in box, 40 in all, 1996-2010, $500 DRESSER - Real wooden, $40. Call (231) 798-8200 Dragon Collection - Hamilton, valued at $500, will take S T O V E - electric range, good $100. Headboard - King size, condition, $25. Call (616) 824wooden, beautiful, $20. Mat- 6036 tresses - (2) twin, $20/ea.

Call (231) 725-5042 T A B L E - Antique square oak table w/4 chairs $350. Blue EXCERCISE BIKE - Lifestyler marlin 8’ 10" long $400.

DT 450, good condition, $30. Razcal 245 mobil electric cart Call: 231-780-4397 $400. Oak trim floor & wall large amount $400. (231) EXERCISE MACHINE - Ga- 773-0297. zelle $40; Ab-Doer $35, healthy walker, $25; free TABLES - (12) 4ft. round w/ standing air hockey set $35; adjustable legs for kids, for Virgin Mobile Android LG doing homework, etc., like phone $20 ea; Valspar, new, $35 each w/ chairs. (2) indoor/outdoor paint, 2 gal- Corner desk, $35 each. lons $20. Call (231) 736-7540 TOYS - Fischer-Price; Airport, Foseball Stadium Comm. style garage, village - vintage soccer table. Dlx. model, Prof. (original box) - clean, $25/ea; style handles, balance high Please call (269) 345-8467 impact, playing men, 3 man goalie, side ball return, scor- TREADM ILL - All steel frame, ing device each end, 6 fuse- cushioned Deck, auto incline, balls. Retail $795; Sell $250. folds down, programmable 616-485-1020, 616-677-3334 panel. $300. Extra tread and GROW LIGHTS . Metal halide axle, $100. Key and monitorgrow lights.

400 watts ing devices, $150. All never 120/220 volt. Bulb included. used. Call (616) 724-6704. $60.00 each. (231)720.9693.

TV - Mitsubishi Flat screen Phone calls only. NO TEXTS projector, 48", works great, GUN - 1970s Remington, nylon w/remote and manual, $155, 66 brown stock, blued barrell, Call (231) 955-9892 breach loader, nice condition, $300 firm. Call (231) 903- VCR Tapes - Collection of VHS/VCR pre-recorded 3380. videos, some viewed once. 4 GUNS - Hi-Point semi-auto Johnny Carson, 2 Lucy Show, Agatha Christie-Miss pistols, still in the box, (3) 5 9mm at $250/ea. (2) 45 ACPs Marple, 4 Primal Instinctsat $275/ea. Need purchase Animals. 15 tapes for $20.

Sterling 759-0349. permit. Call (231) 773-4010

CREDENZA - Professional ex- SNOW BLOWER - Noma Perecutive style, light oak , solid formance, 10HP, 27" spread, wood, 10 drawer, 71"long, good condition, $300 cash.

20" wide and 29" high. In ab- Call (616) 452-8555 solutely mint condition. Only BLOWER- single asking $300 OBO. Also have SNOW matching desk $300 OBO. Call stage, 22" Honda HS35, excellent engine, choke assem(269) 343-6242 bly broken. Sell for parts,m CRUZ TABLET - 7" i n c h $50-75/obo. Call (231) 759screen with case, never used, 7732 only $25; E-Book Reader, never used, from Sharper Image, SNOW BLOWER - Single LITERATI, 7"inch, color stage, electric start, 20" screen with case, only asking width, good condition, $150; Sled - Antique wood and $25; Call (231) 981-0633 metal, 48", $30; Snow Shov CURIO CABINET - CUSTOM el - Aluminum, $3; Please call MADE HOWARD MILLER CU- (231) 798-1331 RIO CABINET. 86" tall, 42" wide, 32" deep.

Halogen S N O W B L O W E R S - recondilighted with glass mirror In tioned single stage and 2 back. Beveled glass front , stage, 3 to 9 HP, 17" - 29" extra thick glass shelves with wide. Some w/ electric start. grooves for plates. Locking $125. to $450. Will take trade side doors for easy access in. Call (616) 295-3868 with key. $950.00. Please call SNOW BLOWER - Toro 521, 231-798-2062 electric start, good condition, DINING TABLE - w/matching $275/obo. Call (231) 722-7942 hutch, extra leaves, country style, like new, $299. Please SNOW BLOWER - Torro, 4.5 HP, single stage, new blade, Call (231) 894-5692 runs great, easy to start.

DOLLS, AUSTIN POWERS $175. Call (231) 744-5984 SERIES - $125 OBO. Large Drag Race picture, Chevy vs SNOW BLOWER - Yardman, Ford, paid $300, asking $150 2 stage, 28", 10 HP, electric OBO. Oak flooring - snap fit, start, runs well, $300; Please call (231) 855-6332 $150. Allegan. 269-501-9992

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SECTION

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Earning his stripes

New manager Brad Ausmus brings a different vibe to Tigers’ clubhouse that, so far, has caught on

L

Chris I ot t t@ml Byy C B hris hr is Iott/ciott@mlive.com ottt / ci ott@ mliive e.co com m

AKELAND, Fla. — Brad Ausmus came to spring training with zero games of managerial experience. So, naturally, one of the first things he did was send a pitching prospect to the circus. And set up a basketball shooting contest to help boost team chemistry.

The Tigers have gone through many changes since their 2013 season ended in the American League Championship Series. They traded Prince Fielder and Doug Fister and let free agents Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante walk. Three of the starters on the infield are new, and the other — Miguel Cabrera — moved from third base to first. They signed a surefire closer. They will have less power but more speed in the starting lineup.

One of the biggest changes involves the manager. Gone is Jim Leyland, 69, who managed 3,497 games in the majors.

Replacing him is Ausmus, 44, who has managed the same number of big-league games as, well, you.

Ausmus has consistently shrugged off the newness of the situation. He played catcher for 18 seasons in the majors and has been through spring training in the years since he retired. He seems to feel

the si the situ tuat atio ion n is isn’ n t ne new w to to him him at at all, alll, that al situation isn’t he simply is sitting in a different chair and watching from a different angle.

“As a manager, you’re privy to some conversations you wouldn’t be as a player,” he said. “Overall, there haven’t been any surprises. I can’t really think of anything that’s taken me by surprise or made me pause for more than a few seconds.

“It just seems like a typical spring training; I’m just wearing a different hat. And I don’t mean the hat with the English ‘D,’ I mean metaphorically.”

Tigers players have noticed his calm demeanor and approach.

“He’s been very positive, upbeat,” Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander said.

“He seems very even-keeled from what I’ve noticed. Not light-hearted, but even-keeled.”

Detroit catcher Alex Avila said he is not surprised to see that approach from Ausmus, even though it is his first go-round as the manager.

“I don’t think that’s something that’s difficult for him,” Avila said. “That’s his personality.”

On the field, Ausmus has stressed aggressiveness on the bases. He SEE AUSMUS, B2

BRAD AUSMUS Born: April 14, 1969, New Haven, Conn.

Age: 44 College: Dartmouth Drafted: New York Yankees, 48th round, 1987 Years in majors: 18 (San Diego, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles Dodgers) Totals: 1,971 games, 6,279 at-bats, 1,579 hits, 80 home runs, 607 RBIs, 102 stolen bases, .251 batting average.

All-Star games: 1 (1999) Gold Gloves: 3 (2001, ’02, ’06) Career MLB salary: $36.3 million Notable: Ausmus finished his career ranked third in MLB history with 12,839 putouts as a

catcher, trailing only Ivan Rodríguez and Jason Kendall ... Was seventh in games caught with 1,938 ... Threw out 30.2 percent of potential basestealers ... Was chosen the ninthsmartest athlete in sports by Sporting News in 2010.

Post-playing career •Hired as special assistant to baseball operations for the San Diego Padres, November 2010 •Named 37th manager in the history of the Detroit Tigers on Nov. 3, 2013, succeeding Jim Leyland Source: Baseballreference.com (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

WHAT’S INSIDE

• Player profiles, including capsules and photos of the Tigers’ roster, B2

• How will the MLB division races shape up this season? Predictions from the MLive beat writers, B2

• Introducing your weekly guide to the team, including five things to watch, a Q&A with beat writer Chris Iott, statistics and more, B3

• Tigers game/TV schedule, B4 • Tigers radio affiliates, B4 • Five players to watch, B4

• Beat writer James Schmehl takes a look at the AL Central, B4

B2 / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Detroit Tigers 2014 Season Preview PREDICTIONS

How will league races shape up this season?

MLive’s Detroit Tigers beat writers — Chris Iott and James Schmehl — offer their predictions for the 2014 season.

AL CENTRAL DIVISION 1. Detroit Tigers 2. Cleveland Indians 3. Kansas City Royals 4. Chicago White Sox 5. Minnesota Twins Total victories for Tigers: 89 AL division winners: Red Sox, Tigers, Angels AL wild cards: Rays, Athletics NL division winners: Nationals, Cardinals, Dodgers NL wild cards: Reds, Giants World Series: Nationals over Angels

Comment: The Tigers have been clear favorites to win the AL Central the past two seasons. They remain the favorites, but it wouldn’t be a massive surprise if they didn’t win the division, especially if injuries knock a key player or two out of the lineup. As for the World Series, I’m going to keep picking the Angels and Nationals until it happens.

Trying to predict in March what will happen in October is stupid, anyway. I’m taking the Nationals this season, though, just to change things up a bit and because the Angels will probably miss the playoffs, anyway.

— Chris Iott

AL CENTRAL DIVISION 1. Detroit Tigers 2. Kansas City Royals 3. Cleveland Indians 4. Chicago White Sox 5. Minnesota Twins Total victories for Tigers: 90 AL division winners: Red Sox, Tigers, Rangers AL wild cards: Yankees, Athletics NL division winners: Nationals, Cardinals, Dodgers NL wild cards: Braves, Reds World Series: Dodgers over Red Sox Comment: Injuries have crippled the Tigers this spring.

But when I consider how many games they’ll lose as a result

Ausmus

of injuries to Bruce Rondon, Jose Iglesias and Andy Dirks, I seem to settle at three.

Entering camp, I thought the Tigers would capture their fourth straight division title with another 93-win season. I still think they can win the AL Central with 90. As long as Detroit’s rotation remains intact, starting pitching can make up for the lack of power and an inexperienced bullpen.

But if injuries force Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander to the disabled list, expect Kansas City to finally end its 29-year playoff drought.

— James Schmehl

the exercise was the Tigers’ organization catcher prospect. “We set it up. We asked CONTINUED FROM B1 one of the guys if he knew Justin Verlander and they gave every player the green said no. We asked if he knew light to steal in spring trainMax Scherzer and he said ing and encouraged them to no. Then we asked him if he take an extra base at every knew Drew Smyly, and he’s opportunity. like, ‘Oh, yeah, the shooter!

Take Austin Jackson, for The big shooter!’ He said, example. Jackson had the ‘He’s very famous in our green light throughout the country.’”

2013 season but finished The idea of the videos and with only eight steals. the lightheartedness was to Ausmus wants that to bring the team closer. A change. positive effect might be seen “We want him to change in the future, when young his frame of mind,” Ausmus players like VerHagen show said earlier this month. “We up in training camp with a want him to get to first and legitimate shot to make the want to be on second. He’s team. got the ability to do that.”

The young guys will be Off the field, Ausmus has less likely to tiptoe around tried to encourage team the established veterans bonding and camaraderie. because they’ll already know He instituted a 9:30 a.m. them. meeting each day early in “The VerHagens and the camp as well as later in camp other guys who have been in on days the team plays at camp, he’s kind of empowhome.

Ausmus used part of those ered them — that they’re meetings for baseball discus- part of the team as well and they have a purpose as well,” sions, to get points of focus Avila said of Ausmus. “It’s across to his players. He used part of it to get the play- important to give everybody that type of feeling that ers to know each other betyou’re part of a team, you ter, to break down barriers matter. You’re not only doing between established vetera job for yourself, for your ans and young players with own success, but for the little experience and high team’s success.” jersey numbers who either Ausmus, a graduate of need more development to Dartmouth, is known for get to the big leagues or will being a smart guy. That never get there. comes through in his sense Ausmus instituted a of humor. He can be snarky basketball shooting conat times and often has a test — which was won by quick, pointed comeback. the catchers — as a teamAn example of that came building exercise. Outfield through one day when a prospect Daniel Fields led a reporter showed up in his group that made a video at office after being gone for a Gatorland, a nearby Florida few days. attraction, and brought a Ausmus: “Welcome back.” live alligator back to the Reporter: “Thanks. Nice to clubhouse that had Miguel be missed.”

Cabrera running in fear.

Ausmus: “Didn’t say I And at Ausmus’ direcmissed you.” tion, pitching prospect “He’s very witty,” Avila Drew VerHagen visited a circus — located in the Joker said. “He’ll come back with a line that you just wouldn’t Marchant Stadium parking expect. He definitely keeps lot — in the early days of things loose. I think he’s spring training. been a really good influHe was part of a group ence on everybody. It’s just that filmed one of the first brought a different style that videos shown at the a lot of us haven’t seen.

9:30 a.m. meeting during “A lot of us have only which he interviewed a parknown Jim as our manager, ticipant in the circus who so sometimes change can was from Russia. be difficult, but it’s been as “James McCann came up with a good idea,” VerHagen smooth a transition as I can imagine.” said, noting his partner in

TIGERS ROSTER STARTERS

13 ALEX AVILA

Position: Catcher 2013 stats: .227, 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, 112 strikeouts, .693 OPS Notes: The offensive struggles Avila has gone through the past two seasons makes it easy to forget he started the AllStar Game and finished 12th in American League Most Valuable Player voting in 2011. The Tigers need him to swing the bat better than he did in 2012 and 2013. How much better? Somewhere closer to his second-half numbers from 2013 (.303, .876 OPS) and not anywhere near his first-half numbers (.177, .572 OPS).

24 MIGUEL CABRERA

Position: First baseman 2013 stats: .348, 44 home runs, 137 RBIs, 1.078 OPS, 90 walks Notes: Can Cabrera match his 2012 or 2013 numbers in 2014? Since he’s coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, that seems like a lot to expect.

But don’t forget he posted the numbers listed above while playing injured down the stretch. He would have pushed 50 home runs and certainly would have had a higher OPS if he had been healthy all season.

9 NICK CASTELLANOS

Position: Third baseman 2013 stats: 5 for 18 (.278), five singles with Tigers; .276, 18 home runs, 76 RBIs, .793 OPS, 100 strikeouts with Triple-A Toledo Notes: Castellanos will receive plenty of attention from Tigers fans as a hot prospect who is taking over at third base (almost) full-time.

He is adjusting to his return to third base and likely won’t be a Gold Glove winner, but all indications are that he will hit. Will he struggle at times and go through growing pains as a rookie? Certainly.

Fans should judge him as a rookie on his entire season and not how he fares in April.

20 RAJAI DAVIS

Position: Left fielder 2013 stats: .260, .312 OBP, 24 RBIs, 45 steals, 360 plate appearances with Toronto Blue Jays Notes: Davis will give the Tigers an element they were missing sorely in 2013: speed. The Tigers stole 35 bases as a team last season. Davis had 45 last season and has had 34 or more steals in each of the past five seasons. Davis was slated to be more than a straight platoon player even when Andy Dirks was healthy, but he will see more time against right-handed pitchers with Dirks out. Davis has hit .294 with a .779 OPS against left-handers in his career and .255 with a .650 OPS against right-handers.

28 ALEX GONZALEZ

2013, his first season with the Tigers. Hunter, who will turn 39 this season, has to slow down at some point. A healthy and productive Hunter is extremely important to the Tigers, especially early when they will be short-handed in the outfield because of Andy Dirks’ injury.

14 AUSTIN JACKSON

Position: Center fielder 2013 stats: .272, 12 home runs, 49 RBIs, 99 runs, 8 stolen bases, 129 strikeouts Notes: There will be a lot of eyes on Jackson, who is just two seasons from free agency. Will being dropped from the leadoff spot for the first time in his career be helpful? Will he continue to hit the ball like he did during spring training? Will he be more aggressive on the basepaths this season? Jackson had the green light for the entire 2013 season but finished with just eight steals. That number should go up now that he’s no longer batting ahead of Cabrera in the lineup.

3 IAN KINSLER

Position: Second baseman 2013 stats: .277, 13 home runs, 72 RBIs, 85 runs, 15 stolen bases with Texas Rangers Notes: Kinsler hit .277 last season for Texas, his highest average since 2010. But some of his other numbers (runs scored, slugging percentage, OPS) have fallen steadily since 2011. It will be interesting to see how Kinsler fares with a new team and a new manager while playing in a new ballpark.

41 VICTOR MARTINEZ

Position: Designated hitter 2013 stats: .301, 14 home runs, 83 RBIs Notes: With the departure of Prince Fielder, Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante, Martinez will move back into the cleanup spot directly behind Cabrera and will be depended upon to produce runs. Martinez got off to a slow start in 2013 after sitting out the 2012 season due to knee surgery.

The Tigers will need him to knock in 100-plus runs, like he did in 2011 (103 RBIs). They definitely will need him to finish with more than the 83 RBIs he had in 2013.

BENCH

72 TYLER COLLINS

Position: Outfielder 2013 stats: .240, 21 home runs, 79 RBIs, .760 OPS with Double-A Erie Notes: Collins entered spring training with little hope of making the opening day roster. But an injury to Andy Dirks opened the door for an outfielder, preferably with a left-handed bat. Collins didn’t hit for a high average this spring, but he racked up several extra-base hits and impressed the Tigers with his approach to the game.

50 BRYAN HOLADAY

Position: Shortstop 2013 stats: .177, .433 OPS in 41 games for Milwaukee Brewers Notes: The Tigers headed into spring training with a young starting shortstop who was not expected to provide much offensive. They will start the regular season with an old shortstop who likely will provide even less. The Tigers traded utility man Steve Lombardozzi for Gonzalez, a 37-year-old shortstop who has played 65 games and has fewer than 200 at-bats in the past two seasons combined.

Gonzalez has a .246 career average and .686 career OPS. 48 TORII HUNTER

Position: Right fielder 2013 stats: .304, 17 home runs, 84 RBIs, .800 OPS Notes: Many baseball followers thought the 2012 numbers Hunter posted were a bit of an aberration, but he basically matched those numbers in

Position: Catcher 2013 stats: 8 for 27 (.296) with Tigers; .260, 24 RBIs, 320 plate appearances with Triple-A Toledo Notes: The Tigers likely will not get much offensively out of Holaday, a .243 hitter in four seasons in the minors, and likely will rely more on Avila in 2014 than they have the past few years. But the Tigers like what Holaday brings defensively.

32 DON KELLY

Position: Outfielder 2013 stats: .222, 6 home runs, 23 RBIs, 216 at-bats, 112 games Notes: Kelly was slated to be the fifth of five outfielders on the roster before Andy Dirks’ injury but certainly will get more starts in left field with Dirks out for the first two months.

Kelly’s career numbers against righthanders — .235 with a .657 OPS -— aren’t that much different than

those posted by Rajai Davis. But Kelly is a better defensive outfielder who will give some breaks to Davis.

62 AL ALBURQUERQUE

27 ANDREW ROMINE

Throws: Right-hander

Position: Shortstop

2013 stats: 4-3, 4.59 ERA, 70 strikeouts, 34 walks, 49 innings

2013 stats: .259, three doubles, 10 RBIs in 108 at-bats with Los Angeles Angels Notes: Romine will not hit a ton, but the Tigers like what they see in him defensively. In addition to getting some starts at shortstop in place of Alex Gonzalez, Romine will serve as a part-time second baseman and third baseman.

STARTING PITCHERS

21 RICK PORCELLO

Throws: Right-hander 2013 stats: 13-8, 4.32 ERA, 142 strikeouts, 177 innings pitched, 1.28 WHIP Notes: Porcello is an interesting story. He is 25 years old but entering his sixth season in the majors. He hasn’t had an ERA below 4.32 since his rookie season, yet he is slated to make $8.5 million in 2014 and almost certainly will get $10 million-plus for 2015 as an arbitration-eligible player next offseason. Porcello took a step forward in 2013 by increasing his strikeout numbers and lowering his WHIP substantially from the previous season.

19 ANIBAL SANCHEZ

Throws: Right-hander 2013 stats: 14-8, 2.57 ERA, 202 strikeouts, 182 innings pitched, nine home runs, 1.15 WHIP Notes: The Tigers seemed to stretch the budget when they re-signed Sanchez as a free agent before the 2013 season. One year later, he looks like a bargain based on how he pitched last season and how much the market changes from year to year. Keep an eye out for shoulder issues, which knocked him out of the rotation in 2013 and popped up this year in spring training.

37 MAX SCHERZER

Throws: Right-hander 2013 stats: 21-3, 2.90 ERA, 240 strikeouts, 214⅓ innings pitched, 0.97 WHIP Notes: Scherzer got his mechanics aligned consistently and won the 2013 AL Cy Young award. Tigers fans might want to enjoy the 2014 season, because it very well could be his last season in Detroit.

Scherzer is in line to get a huge contract as a free agent next offseason, and could make it bigger if he puts together a 2014 season that’s even close to as good as last year.

33 DREW SMYLY

Throws: Left-hander 2013 stats: 6-0, 2.37 ERA, 81 strikeouts, 76 innings pitched, 1.04 WHIP Notes: Smyly is the real deal, but the expectations many Tigers fans have for him in 2014 might be a bit too high. The transition from bullpen to fulltime starter will provide challenges, even though Smyly spent his career as a starter before coming to the big leagues. The Tigers will watch his innings total carefully.

35 JUSTIN VERLANDER

BULLPEN

Notes: After not allowing a regular-season home run in 56⅔ innings in 2011 and 2012, Alburquerque surrendered five home runs in 2013. The Tigers want him to trust his fastball more and throw it for strikes instead of relying too heavily on his slider.

44 JOBA CHAMBERLAIN

Throws: Left-hander 2013 stats: 2-1, 4.93 ERA, 26 walks, 42 innings, 1.74 WHIP for New York Yankees Notes: The biggest storyline for the Tigers bullpen this season is whether they have someone who can lock down the eighth inning. With Bruce Rondon out with an injury, Chamberlain appears to be the leading candidate to fill that role. But Chamberlain has had injury issues of his own and hasn’t posted great numbers the past two seasons with the Yankees.

40 PHIL COKE

Throws: Left-hander 2013 stats: 0-5, 5.40 ERA, .291 opponents’ batting average, 1.67 WHIP Notes: This is a make-or-break season for Coke, who will be a free agent for the first time next offseason.

In the short term, the Tigers need Coke to be the No. 1 lefty out of the bullpen or serve as a lefty-on-lefty specialist.

46 IAN KROL

Throws: Left-hander 2013 stats: 2-1, 3.95 ERA, 1.317 WHIP for Washington Nationals Notes: The Tigers like the potential Krol brought with him in the trade that sent Doug Fister to the Nationals. Krol, in his second majorleague season, is a lefty-on-lefty specialist, but he’ll have to make a big step forward against right-handed hitters if his role is to increase in 2014.

36 JOE NATHAN

Throws: Right-hander 2013 stats: 6-2, 1.39 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 43 saves for Texas Rangers Notes: Nathan, 39, is the lone proven veteran in the bullpen. He showed no signs of slowing down last season, when he converted 43 of 46 save opportunities for the Texas Rangers. Based on the question marks in the rest of the bullpen, there is pressure on Nathan to stay healthy and perform. If he falters, the bullpen will be a mess.

39 LUKE PUTKONEN

Throws: Right-hander 2013 stats: 3.03 ERA, 28 strikeouts, 29 ⅔ innings for Tigers; 1.91 ERA, 38 strikeouts, 37 ⅔ innings, 1.009 WHIP for Triple-A Toledo Notes: Putkonen had some success in the majors last season and built upon that this spring. He has been a starter in the minors and certainly could be a multi-inning guy this season.

Throws: Right-hander

57 EVAN REED

2013 stats: 13-12, 3.46 ERA, 217 strikeouts, 218 ⅓ innings pitched, 1.31 WHIP

Throws: Right-hander

Notes: Verlander put together a solid 2013 by the standards of most pitchers.

But for a guy who won Cy Young and Most Valuable Player in 2011 and almost repeated as the Cy Young winner the next season, 2013 was a disappointment. Verlander underwent core muscle surgery and believes the injury might have caused some of his issues in 2013.

2013 stats: 4.24 ERA, .301 opponents’ batting average, 23⅓ innings pitched for Tigers; 2.54 ERA, 49 strikeouts, 49 ⅔ innings, 1.168 WHIP for Triple-A Toledo Notes: The Tigers claimed Reed off waivers from the Miami Marlins last season in part because they like pitchers who throw hard.

He had a great spring for the Tigers, but how will it translate to the regular season?

Tigers

MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / B3

YOUR WEEKLY GUIDE TO THE TEAM

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

B 1

4

The bullpen appears to be a weak spot for the Tigers, especially after they lost Bruce Rondon for the season because of an elbow injury. Joe Nathan is a proven closer, so the ninth inning doesn’t appear to be a major issue. But the eighth? The seventh? The sixth? Tigers fans could be in for a wild ride.

2

Verlander

Q: A:

UPCOMING SERIES

Q:

BALTIMORE ORIOLES AT COMERICA PARK

KANSAS CITY ROYALS AT COMERICA PARK

Friday through Sunday, all games at 1:08 p.m. on FSD Tigers fans expected to see Steve Lombardozzi play at Comerica Park early in the season. They will. The Tigers traded for Lombardozzi during the offseason, then shipped him off to Baltimore for veteran shortstop Alex Gonzalez near the end of spring training.

Monday, 1:08 p.m. on FSD: Justin Verlander vs. RHP James Shields Wednesday, 1:08 p.m. on FSD: Max Scherzer vs. LHP Jason Vargas Thursday, 1:08 p.m. on FSD: Anibal Sanchez vs. Yordano Ventura

Shields

2013 STATISTICS BATTERS Cabrera Infante Hunter Iglesias Peralta Martinez Pena Holaday Fielder Castellanos Jackson Dirks Tuiasosopo Avila Santiago Kelly Perez Worth Team Totals

AVG .348 .318 .304 .303 .303 .301 .297 .296 .279 .278 .272 .256 .244 .227 .224 .222 .197 .000 .283

OBA .442 .345 .334 .349 .358 .355 .315 .367 .362 .278 .337 .323 .351 .317 .298 .309 .217 .000 .346

AB 555 453 606 350 409 605 229 27 624 18 552 438 164 330 205 216 66 2 5735

R 103 54 90 39 50 68 19 8 82 1 99 60 26 39 27 33 13 0 796

A:

A:

5

3

Do you think the Tigers will trade Max Scherzer before the trade deadline?

— Rick LeClair@dcchief06 Wow. Schtick just got real. To answer the question: absolutely not. The Tigers are still the favorites to win the American League Central this season. The only way they would trade Max Scherzer is if they find themselves out of the division race before the trade deadline. They won’t.

How much could Jose Veras help our bullpen right now? And why did general manager Dave Dombrowski cut him?

Seems more reliable than Joba Chamberlain. — Daniel Casey-Dunn@ DanielCaseyDunn I was surprised the Tigers did not exercise the team option on his contract. The bullpen could use the help. The only reasonable possibilities for why they cut him involve money and performance.

Since we never have any idea about the nature of the budget Dombrowski has to deal with, well, it’s tough to know for sure.

There’s certainly a chance Dombrowski felt it was best to spend the money that would have been dedicated to Veras elsewhere.

There also is a chance the Tigers simply didn’t think that much of Veras.

There’s a good chance it was a combination of both.

Do you expect Rajai Davis’ hot spring to continue into the season?

The .230 BA vs. RHP last year isn’t encouraging. — Matthew@matthewuchno Players are what they are. History tells us Davis hits .255 with a .650 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Recent history (2013) tells us Davis hit .228 with a .594 OPS against right-handers.

So, it would be crazy to predict those numbers will improve drastically in 2014, which will be the ninth season in the majors for Davis.

He might be hot to start the season. He might not be. But water finds its level.

Davis will be much more effective against lefthanders than right-handers this season.

Why do the Tigers hate Danny Worrh? — Ken Ostroff@kso3165 “Hate” is a strong word. But I can’t think of a word for “Apparently don’t think very much of.”

Is Chamberlain getting the eighth inning or will it be more of a mix-andmatch situation? — Ryan Sauvage@potatogod93 Mix and match unless someone locks it down with solid, consistent performances.

Q:

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus stressed aggressiveness on the basepaths from the first day of spring training. Rajai Davis gives the Tigers more speed on the bases than they’ve had in years. The 2014 Tigers will try to take an extra base when they can.

— Chris Iott

Tigers fans will get their first steady dose of Nick Castellanos, who will be the regular third baseman for the Tigers after being touted as one of baseball’s top prospects for the past few years. He won’t ever be the best defen-

Q:

A:

sive third baseman in the league, but he can hit.

How will Tigers fans respond to Max Scherzer?

Some Tigers fans feel he showed a lack of loyalty when he passed on a contract offer that was worth a reported $144 million over six seasons. That seems unfair. Loyalty — or lack thereof — is overrated in contract negotiations.

Money is not.

Ü@Chris_Iott

Q:

aseball is back. Opening day is Monday. Wondering what you should look for in the first week of the Detroit Tigers’ season? Glad you asked. Here are some things to keep your eye on as the Tigers begin their defense of the American League Central Division title.

Justin Verlander had a sub-par season — at least for him — in 2013 and underwent core muscle surgery in the offseason.

How will he perform in his opening day start? If spring is any indication, he appears to be ready to go. Verlander threw 20 shutout innings this spring.

Q&A WITH CHRIS IOTT

H 193 144 184 106 124 182 68 8 174 5 150 112 40 75 46 48 13 0 1625

2B 26 24 37 16 30 36 11 1 36 0 30 16 7 14 8 6 0 0 292

3B 1 3 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 23

HR 44 10 17 3 11 14 4 1 25 0 12 9 7 11 1 6 0 0 176

RBI 137 51 84 29 55 83 22 2 106 0 49 37 30 47 14 23 5 0 767

BB 90 20 26 15 35 54 6 2 75 0 52 42 25 44 21 27 2 0 531

SO 94 44 113 60 98 62 26 3 117 1 129 84 57 112 32 28 15 1 1073

SB 3 5 3 5 3 0 0 0 1 0 8 7 0 0 0 2 1 0 35

CS 0 2 2 2 3 2 2 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 20

E 12 10 3 6 4 0 3 2 6 0 2 2 1 6 2 2 2 1 76

PITCHERS Benoit Smyly Sanchez Scherzer Veras Putkonen Rondon Verlander Fister Reed Porcello Alburquerque Downs Bonderman Coke Alvarez Dotel Team Totals

W 4 6 14 21 0 1 1 13 14 0 13 4 0 2 0 1 0 93

L 1 0 8 3 5 3 2 12 9 1 8 3 2 4 5 5 0 69

ERA 2.01 2.37 2.57 2.90 3.02 3.03 3.45 3.46 3.67 4.24 4.32 4.59 4.84 5.40 5.40 5.82 13.50 3.61

G 66 63 29 32 67 30 30 34 33 16 32 53 29 18 49 14 6 162

GS 0 0 29 32 0 0 0 34 32 0 29 0 0 7 0 6 0 162

SV 24 2 0 0 21 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 39

IP 67.0 76.0 182.0 214.1 62.2 29.2 28.2 218.1 208.2 23.1 177.0 49.0 35.1 55.0 38.1 38.2 4.2 1462.2

H 47 62 156 152 45 30 28 212 229 28 185 39 36 58 43 42 10 1369

R 15 20 56 73 23 11 11 94 91 16 87 25 20 36 24 26 7 624

ER 15 20 52 69 21 10 11 84 85 11 85 25 19 33 23 25 7 587

HR 5 4 9 18 6 4 2 19 14 2 18 5 4 7 3 7 0 128

BB 22 17 54 56 22 9 11 75 44 8 42 34 11 27 21 16 4 462

SO 73 81 202 240 60 28 30 217 159 17 142 70 37 32 30 31 4 1428

A:

QUOTABLE “I was never thinking about going to free agency. I want to be here. I want to stay here. I want to be a Tiger.”

— MIGUEL CABRERA, AFTER SIGNING AN EIGHT-YEAR, $292 MILLION CONTRACT EXTENSION

B4 / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Detroit Tigers 2014 Season Preview TIGERS SCHEDULE SUN

TUE

MON

THU

WED

FRI

SAT

MARCH/APRIL 31

6

1:08 FSD

KC

BAL 1:08 FSD

15

21 CWS 7:08 FSD

27 at MIN 2:10 FSD

KC 1:08 FSD

3

KC 1:08 FSD

at LAD 9 at LAD 10:10 10:10 FSD FSD

8

13 at SD 4:10 FSD+ 20 LAA 1:08 FSD

2

CLE 7:08 FSD

22 CWS 7:08 FSD

16

17

23 CWS 7:08 FSD

24 CWS 1:08 FSD

CLE 7:08 FSD+

CLE 1:08 FSD

4

BAL 1:08 FSD

5

BAL 1:08 FSD

11 at SD 10:10 FSD+

12 at SD 8:40 FSD

18

19

LAA 7:08 FSD

LAA 1:08 FS1

25 at MIN 26 at MIN 2:10 8:10 FSD FSD

29 at CWS 30 at CWS 8:10 2:10 FSD FSD

MAY

4 at KC 2:10 FSD

5 HOU 7:08 FSD

6 HOU 7:08 FSD

7 HOU 7:08 FSD

12 at BAL 7:05 FSD

13 at BAL 7:05 FSD

14 at BAL 12:35 FSD

18 at BOS 19 at CLE 8:05 7:05 ESPN FSD

20 at CLE 7:05 FSD

21 at CLE 12:05 FSD

11

MIN 1:08 FSD

25 TEX 1:08 FSD

8 HOU 1:08 FSD

2 at KC 8:10 FSD

3 at KC 7:10 FS1

9

10 MIN 1:08 FSD

MIN 7:08 FSD

16 at BOS 17 at BOS 7:10 7:10 FSD FSD 23 TEX 7:08 FSD

24 TEX 4:08 FS1

26 at OAK 27 at OAK 28 at OAK 29 at OAK 30 at SEA 4:05 10:05 10:05 3:35 10:10 FSD FSD FSD FSD FSD

31 at SEA 10:10 FSD

22 TEX 1:08 FSD

JUNE BOS 7:08 FSD

7

BOS 7:15 Fox

9 at CWS 10 at CWS 11 at CWS 12 at CWS 13 MIN 8:10 8:10 8:10 8:10 7:08 FSD FSD FSD FSD FSD

14

MIN 4:08 FS1

1 at SEA 4:10 FSD 8

15

BOS 1:08 FSD MIN 1:08 FSD

3

16 KC 7:08 FSD

17 KC 7:08 FSD

4

TOR 7:08 FSD

5

TOR 1:08 FSD

6

20 at CLE 21 at CLE 7:15 7:05 Fox FSD

18 KC 1:08 FSD

24 at TEX 25 at TEX 26 at TEX 27 at HOU 28 at HOU 4:10 8:05 8:05 8:05 8:10 FSD FSD FSD FSD FSD

22 at CLE 1:05 FSD 29 at HOU 2:10 FSD

TOR 7:08 FSD

30 OAK 7:08 FSD

JULY 1

6

TB 1:08 FSD

8

LAD 7:08 FSD

OAK 1:08 FSD

2

LAD 1:08 FSD

9

3

TB 7:08 FSD

4

TB 7:08 FSD

5

TB 4:08 FSD

10 at KC 11 at KC 12 at KC 7:10 8:10 8:10 FSD FSD FSD

15 at MIN ALL-STAR GAME

13 at KC 2:10 FSD 20 CLE 1:08 FSD

OAK 7:08 FSD

18 CLE 7:08 FSD

19 CLE 7:08 FS1

21 at ARI 22 at ARI 23 at ARI 24 at LAA 25 at LAA 26 at LAA 9:05 9:40 9:40 3:40 10:05 10:05 FSD FSD FSD FSD FSD FSD

27 at LAA TBD FSD

29

CWS 30 CWS 31 CWS 7:08 7:08 1:08 FSD FSD FSD

AUGUST 1

COL 7:08 FSD

2

COL 7:08 FSD

4 at NYY 7:05 FSD

5 at NYY 7:05 FSD

6 at NYY 7:05 FSD

7 at NYY 1:05 FSD

8 at TOR 7:07 FSD

9 at TOR 1:07 FSD

10 at TOR 11 at PIT 1:07 7:05 FSD FSD

12 at PIT 7:05 FSD

13 PIT 7:08 FSD

14 PIT 1:08 FSD

15 SEA 7:08 FSD

16 SEA 7:08 FSD

3

COL 1:08 FSD

19 at TB 20 at TB 21 at TB 22 at MIN 23 at MIN 7:10 7:10 7:10 1:10 8:10 FSD FSD FSD FSD FSD

17 SEA 1:08 FSD

26

24 at MIN 2:10 FSD

NYY 7:08 FSD

27

NYY 7:08 FSD

28

NYY 29 at CWS 30 at CWS 7:10 1:08 8:10 FSD FSD FSD

31 at CWS 2:10 FSD

SEPTEMBER 1 at CLE 4:05 FSD 7

SF 1:08 FSD

14

CLE 1:08 FSD

21 at KC 2:10 FSD

8

KC 7:08 FSD

2 at CLE 7:05 FSD 9

KC 7:08 FSD

3 at CLE 7:05 FSD

4 at CLE 7:05 FSD

10 KC 7:08 FSD

15 at MIN 16 at MIN 17 at MIN 8:10 8:10 8:10 FSD FSD FSD 22 CWS 7:08 FSD

23 CWS 7:08 FSD

24 CWS 1:08 FSD

25 MIN 7:08 FSD

5

SF 7:08 FSD

6

SF 1:08 Fox

12

CLE 7:08 FSD

13

CLE 7:08 FSD

19 at KC 8:10 FSD

20 at KC 7:10 FSD

26 MIN 7:08 FSD

27 MIN 7:08 FSD

28 MIN 1:08 FSD All times p.m. Eastern. Subject to change.

TICKET INFORMATION Detroit Tigers tickets can be purchased at the Comerica Park box office, by calling 866-66-TIGER, online at detroit.tigers.mlb.com and through Ticketmaster and other ticket outlets.

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Looking to play key roles for the Tigers this season are, from left, Nick Castellanos, Austin Jackson, Joba Chamberlain, Alex Avila and Al Alburquerque. (Katie Karnes/MLive.com illustration)

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Which players will step up?

AUSTIN JACKSON

By Chris Iott

ciott@mlive.com

LAKELAND, Fla. — Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander have won the past three American League Most Valuable Player awards.

Max Scherzer and Verlander have won two of the past three Cy Young awards.

Joe Nathan converts almost every save opportunity that comes his way.

Detroit Tigers fans know what to expect from their superstars. But which players could step up with big individual seasons and play a key role for the Tigers in 2014? Here are five to watch: ALEX AVILA

Some Tigers fans refuse to believe it, but Avila has the potential to be an impact player offensively. Avila turned in a very good season in 2011 (.295 average, 82 RBIs, .895 OPS) and hit .303 with an .876 OPS in the second half of 2013 after an absolutely atrocious first half. The Tigers need more offensive production from Avila after the departures of Prince Fielder and Jhonny Peralta. Will they get it? That’s impossible to tell, but Avila has the ability to carry more of the load.

JOBA CHAMBERLAIN

Jackson will look to make the transition from table setter to run producer as he spends his first season outside of the leadoff spot. It was a small sample size, but Jackson had some success in the AL Championship Series last season after former manager Jim Leyland dropped him in the order. Jackson has said multiple times that he is more comfortable batting lower in the order. The 2014 season will provide proof of how the move works out.

Beyond Nathan, there are multiple question marks in the bullpen. Someone will need to step up in the setup role or the Tigers will run into trouble once their starters leave the game. Is Chamberlain up to the task? Can he stay healthy for the entire season? The Tigers rolled the dice with Chamberlain in the offseason. If the move pays off, he will be a key member of the bullpen. If it doesn’t, the bullpen could be in trouble.

NICK CASTELLANOS

AL ALBURQUERQUE

Castellanos will face a lot of pressure this season. Many Tigers fans will expect the world from him after they’ve heard his name touted among the top prospects in all of baseball for the past few years.

But I expect him to have a successful rookie season based on realistic expectations, not the unfair expectations of those who expect him to carry the offense.

There will be growing pains. He might not get off to the best start. But if the season goes well, Castellanos will finish with respectable offensive numbers and likely will come up with some clutch hits along the way.

The question marks elsewhere, the uncertainty of what Chamberlain will bring and the season-ending injury to Bruce Rondon will add pressure to Alburquerque, who is the most dominant relief pitcher the Tigers have when he is on top of his game. Alburquerque is absolutely unhittable at times. At other times, he can’t find the strike zone.

Alburquerque will have to throw strikes, cut down on the walks and find some consistency this season, which will be a tough task if he finds himself pitching in key situations more than he has in the past.

AL CENTRAL OUTLOOK

Division should be a close race this season

L

AKELAND, Fla. — The Tigers needed to hold off a September charge from the Cleveland Indians and narrowly avoided a lateseason meltdown to capture their third straight division title last year.

Will it be as challenging for Detroit to pull off a fourpeat this season, particularly in the wake of crippling injuries to several star players this spring? Let’s take a look:

DETROIT TIGERS

Outlook: Brad Ausmus will have his hands full in his first year as manager, as significant injuries to Jose Iglesias, Andy Dirks and Bruce Rondon have left him with a drastically different team. Injuries — coupled with questions about starting pitching depth and a lack of proven pitchers in the bullpen — could be Detroit’s downfall this year. But a highly talented lineup — even without Prince Fielder protecting Miguel Cabrera — make Detroit the team to beat in the division once again.

Key losses: Joaquin Benoit, Prince Fielder, Doug Fister, Omar Infante, Brayan Pena, Jhonny Peralta, Ramon Santiago, Matt Tuiasosopo, Jose Valverde, Jose Veras.

Key pickups: Joba Chamberlain, Rajai Davis, Ian Kinsler, Alex Gonzalez, Andrew Romine, Ian Krol, Joe Nathan.

2013 record: 93-69 2014 prediction: 90-72

James Schmehl jschmehl @mlive.com

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Outlook: It seems every year, Kansas City is considered a legitimate threat to contend for the division title.

Last year, the Royals took a significant step toward ending their 29-year playoff drought, finishing above .500 for the first time since 2003.

Yet, they still finished seven games behind Detroit in the division. Closer Greg Holland headlines arguably the best bullpen in baseball this year, but outside of starting pitcher James Shields, Kansas City’s rotation has a lot to prove.

With Ervin Santana no longer in the mix, the Royals are counting on Jason Vargas to plug the gap.

Key losses: Emilio Bonifacio, Chris Getz, George Kottaras, David Lough, Luis Mendoza, Ervin Santana.

Key pickups: Norichika Aoki, Omar Infante, Danny Valencia, Jason Vargas.

2013 record: 86-76, third 2014 prediction: 88-74, second CLEVELAND INDIANS

Outlook: Coming off of a playoff-capturing season in which it tied for fourth in the league in runs scored, Cleveland welcomes back a lineup with very little change.

The Indians’ pitching staff,

on the other hand, has undergone a complete overhaul.

Justin Masterson becomes the ace of the staff after the departure of Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir. Outside of Masterson, the Indians will rely heavily on a trio of inexperienced arms in Corey Kluber, Zach McAllister and Danny Salazar. The core of last year’s bullpen is gone, too, as former closer Chris Perez and Joe Smith moved to the West Coast. In turn, the Indians signed John Axford as their new closer, while Cody Allen and Marc Rzepczynski are expected to be their set-up guys.

Key losses: Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, Chris Perez, Mark Reynolds, Joe Smith, Drew Stubbs.

Key pickups: John Axford, Elliot Johnson, David Murphy, Nyjer Morgan, Josh Outman.

2013 record: 92-70, second 2014 prediction: 87-75, third CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Outlook: There’s nowhere to go but up for the White Sox, who finished at the bottom of the division last with a 63-99 record — their worst record since 1970.

With Paul Konerko relegated to part-time duty, the White Sox signed Cuban defector Jose Abreu to a $68 million contract to be their first baseman. He should provide a welcome source of power for a team that finished last in the AL with 598 runs last year.

Chris Sale and Jose Quintana give the White Sox a solid one-two punch in their starting rotation, but their

everyday lineup lacks proven starting position players and run support could, once again, prove to be their Achilles’ heel.

Key losses: Jesse Crain, Gavin Floyd, Jake Peavy, Addison Reed, Hector Santiago, Dewayne Wise.

Key pickups: Jose Abreu, Ronald Belisario, Mitchell Boggs, Matt Davidson, Scott Downs, Adam Eaton, Avisail Garcia, Felipe Paulino.

2013 record: 63-99, fifth 2014 prediction: 72-90, fourth MINNESOTA TWINS

Outlook: The Twins went into this offseason with a strong emphasis on addressing their starting rotation, committing $84 million to three veteran starters. They signed free-agent righthanders Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes and re-signed Mike Pelfrey. They also managed to lock up closer Glen Perkins, who already was under team control through 2015, to an extension that runs through at least 2017. But the Twins still are far away from returning to their glory days. A questionable defense and less-than-mediocre lineup will, once again, prevent them from climbing up the division ranks.

Key losses: Drew Butera, Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit, Liam Hendriks, Justin Morneau.

Key pickups: Phil Hughes, Jason Kubel, Ricky Nolasco, Kurt Suzuki.

2013 record: 66-96, fourth 2014 prediction: 67-95, fifth

For the latest breaking news, go to mlive.com

Sports

C

SECTION

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

LOCAL SPORT S / C2

JACKS WIN SHOOTOUT, STAY IN PLAYOFF HUNT NATIONAL/STATE NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT

Scores, schedule Saturday’s games •(1)Florida 62, (11)Dayton 52 •(2)Wisconsin 64, (1)Arizona 63, OT

OUTDOORS / C7

BRANDING MICHIGAN AS A TRAIL STATE

NCAA TOURNAMENT

Encore performances

Today’s games •(4)Michigan State vs. (7)UConn, 2:20 p.m., CBS •(2)Michigan vs. (8)Kentucky, 5:05 p.m., CBS Final Four •Florida (36-2) vs. MSU/UConn, TBA, Saturday, April 5 •Wisconsin (30-7) vs. U-M/ Kentucky, TBA, Saturday, April 5 NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT

Scores, schedule

Saturday’s games •(1)Notre Dame 89, (5)Oklahoma State 72 •(2)Baylor 80, (3)Kentucky 72 •(1)UConn 70, (12)BYU 51 •(3)Texas A&M 84, (7)DePaul 65

Michigan’s Jordan Morgan reacts after taking a charging foul in the final seconds against Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes (5) on Friday. (Melanie Maxwell/MLive.com)

Today’s games •(1)Tennessee vs. (4)Maryland, noon, ESPN •(3)Louisville vs. (7)LSU, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2 •(2)Stanford vs. (3)Penn State, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2 •(1)South Carolina vs. (4)North Carolina, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 BASEBALL

Trout signs for six years, $144.5 million Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels agreed Friday night to a $144.5 million, six-year contract, keeping baseball’s brightest young star under club control through 2020.

Few players in major league history have approached the speedy, 22-year-old outfielder’s accomplishments in his first two full major league seasons.

The Millville, N.J., product was a unanimous choice for AL Rookie of the Year in 2012, and he finished second in AL MVP voting to Miguel Cabrera the past two years.

He gets a $5 million signing bonus, of which $2 million is due within 30 days of the contract’s approval and $3 million by Oct. 15.

Trout’s salaries are $5.25 million in 2015, $15.25 million in 2016, $19.25 million in 2017 and $33.25 million in each of the final three seasons.

He receives a full-no trade provision and the right to a luxury suite at the ballpark for 20 games per year starting in 2015.

TIGERS

Collins signs MLB deal

Moments after the Detroit Tigers’ final exhibition this spring was canceled, assistant general manager Al Avila pulled outfield prospect Tyler Collins aside in the visiting clubhouse and asked for his signature.

“He said, ‘Hey, you have to sign this,’” Collins said.

Avila placed a document in front of the 23-year-old Collins and pointed to the dotted lines.

Collins signed it without even reading the fine print. Turns out, Collins had just signed his first major league contract. The Tigers purchased Collins’ contract from Double-A Erie on Saturday.

“It’s a dream come true,” Collins said.

Michigan State’s Branden Dawson goes to the basket for two points Friday night against Virginia. (Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

Today, MSU faces Shabazz Napier and UConn, while U-M faces Julius Randle and Kentucky. (AP)

‘Dawson makes all the difference’ Don’t tell Morgan it’s a mismatch

By Gillian Van Stratt

gvanstratt@mlive.com

NEW YORK — Branden Dawson will tell you the truth of the matter now — he thought long and hard about transferring after his freshman season at Michigan State.

“We need more out of you,” coach Tom Izzo continued to say.

Unable to be who Izzo knew he could be and struggling with the aftermath of a torn ACL, Dawson figured he’d just get out of East Lansing, go somewhere where what he was right then was enough.

“Every freshman goes through the process of not getting all the balls and not getting all the touches, not scoring a lot of points,” Dawson said.

“It was frustrating. I was ready to leave, and Coach, he hung in there.

And I believed him; I trusted him.”

A dominating 24 points and 10 rebounds against the nation’s top defense in the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden. A career-high 26 points against Harvard. The most outstanding player in the Big Ten tournament.

It’s what Izzo knew in his heart Dawson was capable of.

It’s what Dawson was unable to grasp.

It’s what eventually manifested out of his worst decision.

When Dawson punched that table

ELITE EIGHT What: No. 4 seed Michigan Sate (29-8) vs. No. 7 seed Connecticut (29-8) When: 2:20 p.m. today Where: New York TV: CBS

back in January — breaking his fifth metacarpal — he did it with all the passion his coach had ever asked for.

He did it because the things ESPN’s Dan Dakich was saying were true — in order for Michigan State to get to win a national championship, it needed the Dawson Izzo believed in but no one had seen.

Late Friday night, after watching Dawson assert his will on his ACC champion Cavaliers, Tony Bennett echoed Dakich’s exact words.

“Dawson makes all the difference,” Bennett said. Only this time, he followed with, “He did today.”

Dawson missed nine games this season with his right hand in a cast. During that time, the Spartans (29-8) went 4-5. Since his return on March 1, Michigan State has gone 7-2 — including the Big Ten tournament title and a run to the Elite Eight, where it will face No. 7 seed UConn at 2:20 p.m. today.

“I’m thinking about going and breaking my hand with the way SEE DAWSON, C6

By Brendan F. Quinn bquinn@mlive.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Walking off the elevated floor at Lucas Oil Stadium, Jordan Morgan delivered a message.

His game already had done the talking. The Michigan senior pounded and pummeled his way to 15 points and seven rebounds, drew a pivotal offensive charge to secure the Wolverines’ 73-71 Sweet 16 win over Tennessee and, in the process of it all, outplayed Jarnell Stokes, the Vols’ bruising forward.

The matchup was talked about all week leading up the game: Morgan vs. Stokes. Morgan was hounded with question about how he planned to stop Stokes, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound fire hydrant.

The bout between the two was painted as a Tennessee advantage.

That paint turned out to be blue, not orange.

So walking off the floor, Morgan yelled one word into the airy, 65,000-seat stadium.

“Mismatch!”

Not only did Morgan drop 15 and pull down seven on Friday night, he held Stokes to 11 points and six rebounds. The UT junior entered the night averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds in the Vols’ three previous NCAA tournament wins.

ELITE EIGHT What: No. 2 seed Michigan (28-8) vs. No. 8 seed Kentucky (27-10) When: approx. 5:05 p.m. today Where: Indianapolis TV: CBS

Asked about his postgame declaration, Morgan noted “I guess people forgot we play in the Big Ten, and we won the Big Ten outright.

So we’re not really soft around here. That’s not who we are. We lift a lot of weights.

“So it’s just, I don’t know, it’s a pride thing for us. We’re not about to get punked.”

Morgan finished 7 for 9 from the field with one steal, one block and one crucial defensive stand in 32 minutes played.

The stand was just the latest March memory for Morgan, sitting alongside last year’s drawn charge against Syracuse in the national semifinals.

Only 9.6 seconds remained.

Michigan, nearly dizzy from seeing a 15-point lead with 10:56 to go whittled all the way down to one point, desperately needed a defensive stop. A barrage of late-game U-M turnovers served up an opportunity for Tennessee to steal a win SEE MORGAN, C6

STATE FINAL FOURS

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS

Teams from the same state have reached the Final Four eight times.

Since more than one team from a conference has been allowed into the NCAA tournament, there have been multiple teams from the same conference in the Final Four 22 times in those 39 years (1975-2013). The Big Ten has done it seven times, more than any other conference. Only once have three teams from the same conference reached the Final Four (1985, Big East).

1954 La Salle and Penn State (La Salle d. Penn State 69-54 in semifinals) 1960 Ohio State and Cincinnati (did not play each other) 1961 Ohio State and Cincinnati (Cincinnati d. Ohio State 70-65 in championship) 1962 Ohio State and Cincinnati (Cincinnati d. Ohio State 71-59 in championship) 1975 Kentucky and Louisville (did not play each other) 1977 North Carolina and UNC-Charlotte (did not play each other) 1991 Duke and North Carolina (did not play each other) 2012 Kentucky and Louisville (Kentucky d. Louisville 69-61 in semifinals)

Two Big Ten teams in Final Four 1976 Indiana and Michigan 1980 Purdue and Iowa 1989 Michigan and Illinois

1992 Michigan and Indiana 1999 Michigan State and Ohio State 2000 Michigan State and Wisconsin 2005 Illinois and Michigan State

C2 / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

Local Sports BASEBALL

Former Whitecap Travis makes impression with Tigers Muskegon’s Tommy Panico, right, and Lincoln’s Tye Ausmus fight for the puck during Saturday’s game at L.C. Walker Arena. (Natalie Kolb/MLive.com)

Second baseman gaining national attention from scouts, impressing coaches within organization

By Chris Iott

L

ciott@mlive.com

LUMBERJACKS 5, STARS 4 (SO)

Jacks rally late, top Lincoln in shootout

By Scott Brandenburg

Lampasso missed the net. sbranden@mlive.com Muskegon outshot Lincoln MUSKEGON — Playoff 40-39 after being outshot fever has hit Muskegon.

19-8 in the first period.

A total of 3,306 fans were The pro-Muskegon crowd in attendance Saturday was deflated when John at L.C. Walker Arena to Simonson scored what see if the Lumberjacks looked like an insurance goal could improve their playoff for Lincoln on the power standing in the Eastern play with 2:31 left to make Conference as the regular it 4-2. season nears its final week.

The game was tied Just when it looked like 2-2 through two periods. the answer would be a disMagnus Hoff picked up a appointing night down 4-2 loose puck in front of the net late in the game, Muskegon with 12:27 left in the game staged a miracle with two and scored to give the Stars goals in the final 1:13 of regu- a 3-2 lead. Simonson and lation.

David Parrottino drew the Jack Rowe scored both assists. times, including the equalThe Lumberjacks got the izer with 7.4 seconds left, and jump on the Stars in the first the Lumberjacks went on to five minutes of the game. secure the much-needed two They recorded two shots on points in a shootout for the goal on their first shift, and second consecutive night, eventually struck first at the defeating the Lincoln Stars 4:17 mark thanks to team 5-4. leaders Matt Iacopelli and Muskegon, Green Bay, Mason Jobst.

Chicago and Team USA are Iacopelli opened the scorbattling for the final playoff ing with his team-high 40th spot. goal, converting a breakaway The shootout win keeps set up by an over-the-top the Lumberjacks in control pass from Jobst, who drew with three games to go. They his team-high 32nd assist. play at Team USA today, at Lincoln surged the rest of Chicago next Friday and host the period, and was rewardGreen Bay next Saturday. ed with a pair of goals from Rowe’s first goal was a Lamposso just eight seconds deflection off of his body, but apart. it gave the hosts life. Then, Lamposso’s first tally with Lumberjacks goalie came on a scramble after Eric Schierhorn off for the Schierhorn thwarted extra attacker, Rowe struck Lincoln’s initial chance on a rebound from a bad with a hustle play out close angle which beat Stars goalie to the blue line. The loose Jacob Nehama to send it to puck found its way onto overtime.

Lamposso’s stick, though, and Neither team could conhe fired it past a Muskegon vert in the extra five minutes, defender in front of the net to so the game went to a shoot- tie the game at 1-1. out. Dominick Sacco scored The Lumberjacks confor Lincoln to start, but trolled the ensuing faceoff Muskegon’s final regulation but mishandled the puck in shooter Matej Paulovic tied the defensive zone, and it it up and Daniel Willett won cost them as Lamposso burit five-hole after Christian ied a rebound.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

Bloomfield Hills senior named state’s Gatorade Player of the Year MLive.com

Bloomfield Hills senior Yante Maten was not named Mr. Basketball. That honor went to Muskegon’s Deshaun Thrower.

Maten wasn’t even a finalist for the award.

But Maten, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound center wasn’t shut out in the prestigious honor category, as he was named the recipient of the Gatorade Player of the Year for Michigan.

Maten was the best player in the Oakland Activities Association this season and continues to gain interest from Division I colleges.

For the season, Maten averaged 19.5 points and 15.2 rebounds per game, to go with 6.9 blocks, 4.8 assists and shot 66 percent from the field.

Maten led Bloomfield Hills to the Class A state finals, where it lost to Muskegon, 91-67.

AKELAND, Fla. — Devon Travis has been called a “little guy” since he first picked up a baseball.

That hasn’t stopped him from posting big numbers and opening eyes around baseball.

The Detroit Tigers prospect is starting to get some attention nationally — he is on Baseball America’s annual Top 100 prospects list — and to impress those who have seen him up close.

“He reminds me a little bit of Curtis Granderson in the fact that you’ve just got to put his name in the lineup,” said Larry Parrish, who managed Travis at Single-A West Michigan last season.

“He shows up to play every day. Just a great mental approach to the game along with being able to play.

“I’ve watched him here in camp. He just looks like he belongs here.”

Travis Travis is listed at 5-foot-9 and might not even be that tall.

A 13th-round pick in 2012, he didn’t get much attention from Tigers fans until he tore up Class A ball last season. He was in big-league camp with the Tigers and is expected to open the season with Double-A Erie.

But if Travis continues on his current path, he could be the guy to eventually replace Ian Kinsler as the everyday second baseman. He could be one of the building blocks for the Tigers infield of the future.

WHO IS DEVON TRAVIS?

“You want a water?” Travis asked.

He had just grabbed himself a bottle from the clubhouse kitchen at Joker Marchant Stadium as we headed out of the clubhouse to talk.

Was it a small gesture? Sure. But it is indicative of the kind of guy Travis is.

He’s the type of person who will listen to people repeatedly botch his first name — it’s “DEH-vin,” not “duh-VON” — and not say anything about it.

“He’s a high-energy guy, and he’s a very personable guy,” Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila said. “Those are two things that are really great to have on your club. High-energy guys with personality that are good guys — that can be special.”

Travis, who grew up in West Palm Beach, Fla. and played for Florida State University, has gained a reputation for playing the right way and treating people the right way.

“Everyone in the organization that knows him, they can’t say enough good things about him,” Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “He is just a very sincere individual. He loves to play the game, as you can see. He’s got enthusiasm. His game is based upon a lot of energy. But he just brings those same qualities off the field.”

Parrish agreed.

“He’s just got that infectious personality,” he said. “He likes showing up at the ballpark every day. He likes to play the game. He likes the competition. He’s a smart kid.”

The only time Travis breaks eye contact during a conversation is when he is pressed to talk about his numbers or his accomplishments.

Ask him about hitting .352 with a .936

Tigers prospect Devon Travis, middle, is congratulated by his West Michigan Whitecaps teammates after scoring a run during a game last season. (MLive.com files)

BY THE NUMBERS

DEVON TRAVIS The 13th-round pick was voted minor league baseball’s Offensive Player of the Year in a fan vote and named the Tigers’ Minor League Player of the Year last season. Here are his statistics from last year: Team West Michigan Lakeland

Level A A+

G 77 55

BA .352 .350

2B 17 11

OPS last season with the Whitecaps or being named minor-league baseball’s Offensive Player of the Year in a fan vote and the Tigers organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2013. He will say the thing that made him most proud was staying healthy all season.

Ask him about what his goals and expectations are for 2014 and his entire answer will be about making the playoffs. Players at Double-A want to advance to Triple-A so they can get to the majors. Of course, Travis wants to do that, too, but he’s hungry to play in the postseason.

“One thing no one can take away is winning, so I just want to win,” said Travis, who said he was jealous when Erie made the playoffs last season. “I want to make a little playoff push and have a little fun.”

Ask Travis about what he’s most proud of as a player and you’ll get two answers. The first one is about playing defense. The second?

“I like to keep everyone going around me,” he said. “When someone’s struggling a little bit, I feel like it’s my job to pick them up a little bit and crack jokes and keep everyone loose and just instill fun. Just have fun. That’s the way I’ve always played the game. That’s the most important thing in the game is to continue to have fun.

“It’s a job, but once you turn it into just a job, that’s when the whole aspect of it changes.”

INJURY ISSUES

At one point while at Florida State, Travis wondered how long his baseball career might last.

A left hand injury that bothered him in high school plagued him throughout his freshman year of college. He played through it until eventually it got to the point where he couldn’t squeeze his hand.

At that point, he underwent surgery to have his hamate bone removed. Travis battled his way back from that injury as a freshman only to injure his knee falling down while rounding first base.

“I’m real pigeon-toed, and I run weird,” Travis said. “I hit first base with my left foot, and I just wiped out. I felt my knee a little bit, but I thought it was fine.”

It wasn’t. Travis battled the knee issue throughout his sophomore year.

The diagnosis was that he had a bone bruise. Eventually, the injury got worse.

“It was just killing me,” Travis said.

3B 2 2

HR 6 10

RBI 42 34

SO 32 32

BB 35 18

SB OBP 14 .430 8 .401

“That summer, I’m like, ‘I can’t go into pro ball hurt. I’ve got to get this fixed now. Something’s wrong.’”

He had another scan. He got another diagnosis for a bone bruise.

“I’m like, no freaking way did they just tell me that,” he said. “I wanted to have surgery, because I knew there was something wrong. I’m like, ‘Damn, I guess my baseball career is going to come to an end one day because of this knee.”

Eventually, a doctor found cartilage damage — Travis calls the discovery “great news” — and Travis had a procedure called OATS (osteoarticular transfer system) where damaged cartilage on the inside of the knee is replaced by healthy cartilage from the outside.

The constant battle with injuries is why Travis puts so much stock in staying healthy last season, his first extended season as a professional.

“From Day 1,” he said, “I was, like, ‘I’ve got to stay healthy. I’ve never done it. I couldn’t do it in college for 60 games. I don’t know how I’m going to do it for 140.’ But I’m a big believer, and God took care of me.”

POSTING BIG NUMBERS

Travis did much more than stay healthy during the 2013 season. He thrived. Travis hit .352 with six home runs, 42 RBIs, 14 steals and a .916 OPS in 77 games for Low-A West Michigan before moving to High-A Lakeland. He thrived there as well, hitting .350 with 10 home runs, 34 RBIs, eight steals and a .962 OPS. “When we drafted him, we felt that he had the potential to be a real good player,” Avila said. “But all of a sudden, when you go in there and you get in the Florida State League and you hit .400 for a couple months, that does open your eyes, because that’s not easy to do.

There’s not too many people who have done it.”

Travis has been a second baseman his whole life because he says he was told repeatedly that he was too short to play shortstop. Ask him for a baseball role model and he naturally points to Dustin Pedroia, the 5-8 second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. “He’s a small guy who comes to the yard every day and wants to do everything in his power to make his team better, help his team win,” Travis said.

“He plays hard every single pitch. To me, that’s the model player.”

Read the Huge Opinion

Bill Simonson

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MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / C3

National Sports BASEBALL

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Florida ends Dayton’s Cinderella run in workman-like fashion

Final Four no Flyers zone

Pitching prospects could have impact Position players also could provide help in playoff races

By Teresa M. Walker The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Florida Gators are first yet again this season.

Scottie Wilbekin scored 14 of his 23 points in the first half, and Florida became the first team to advance to the Final Four with a 62-52 win Saturday night over the 11th-seeded Dayton Flyers in the South Region final.

The Gators reached their fifth Final Four after losing at this point in each of the past three NCAA tournaments.

This time, they came in as the country’s top-ranked team and the overall No. 1 seed.

Florida won its 30th straight game and improved to 36-2, topping the 35 wins by the 2007 national championship squad.

Patric Young scored 12 points, and Michael Frazier II added 10 for Florida.

The Gators will play either UConn or Michigan State in Arlington, Texas, in the national semifinal.

Dyshawn Pierre led the Flyers (26-11) with 18 points. Devin Oliver, from Kalamazoo, added 12 points.

Dayton came in trying to become only the fourth 11 seed to advance to the Final Four. The Flyers had upset Ohio State and Syracuse in reaching their first regional final since 1984.

They missed their second Final Four and first since 1967 with Florida holding them to their lowest scoring game this season.

The Flyers outshot Florida 39.6 percent (19 of 48) to 37.5 percent (18 of 48), but the Gators outrebounded them 37-26. Florida also had a massive edge at the free-throw line (21 of 28) compared to Dayton (6 of 8).

Florida finished the first half on a 15-1 run to take the lead for good, going up 38-24.

The Flyers opened the second half with two quick 3s to pull within eight, only to watch the Gators push their lead to 17 with 11:35 left on a layup by Young.

The Flyers kept coming but couldn’t get closer than eight in the second half, the last at 58-50 as the Gators went cold down the stretch, once missing five shots on one possession.

Dayton missed chances to cut the lead as Oliver missed a 3-pointer with 2:07 left, then Scoochie Smith threw it away trying to pass out to Matt

The Associated Press

Dayton forward Devin Oliver, right, attempts a shot as Florida center Patric Young defends during the first half in Saturday’s regional final game in Memphis, Tenn. Oliver, a 2010 Kalamazoo Central graduate, scored 12 points in the 62-52 loss. (AP)

Kavanaugh.

Then Wilbekin ended the Gators’ scoring drought at 4:39 with a pair of free throws. He hit four of six at the line to finish the game.

Dayton took over the FedExForum so thoroughly that the Gators were booed when they came out for warmups and pre-game introductions.

Archie Miller tried to use his deep bench, using 10 Flyers trying to wear out the Gators with sheer numbers. Florida coach Billy Donovan nearly matched Dayton by going nine deep himself.

In the first half, the Gators went cold for nearly 6 minutes between a dunk

by Casey Prather with 11:55 left and a baseline drive by Frazier with 6:00 to

go. The Flyers scored eight straight when Scoochie Smith’s 3 gave them their first lead of the game at 21-19 with 6:58 remaining until halftime.

Kendall Pollard’s layup tied up Florida for the last time at 23, then Dorian Finney-Smith hit a free throw with 4:22 left putting the Gators ahead to stay.

As Florida went on its run, Dayton missed its final five shots of the first half. Finney-Smith grabbed a rebound of a missed 3 by Frazier and threw the ball back out so the Gators could finish the half by taking the last shot.

Wilbekin then beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer that helped quiet the Flyers’ faithful for the first time all day.

Some of the young arms have arrived, and a few more will make it to the majors this summer. Either way, there are a lot of promising pitching prospects poised to impact the playoff races in 2014.

Check out these rookie pitchers, along with a couple of up-and-coming position players.

• Masahiro Tanaka, RHP, New York Yankees: The 25-year-old Tanaka went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last season, helping Rakuten to a Japan Series title. It was enough to convince the Yankees to hand over a $155 million, seven-year contract in January, plus another $20 million posting fee to his Japanese club team.

Tanaka looked good in spring training, displaying a terrific split-fingered fastball. He is slotted to make his debut April 4 against Toronto.

• Yordano Ventura, RHP, Kansas City: Ventura will begin the season as the Royals’ third starter after a dazzling spring training.

The 22-year-old has one of baseball’s best fastballs, consistently 97-99 mph and touching 100 occasionally.

He made his major league debut last summer, going 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in three starts.

• Archie Bradley, RHP, Arizona: The elbow injury for Diamondbacks ace Patrick Corbin could accelerate the timetable for Bradley, who went 12-5 with a 1.97 ERA at Double-A last season. The 21-year-old right-hander, who has a mid-90s fastball and a big curveball, was competing for a spot in Arizona’s rotation this spring.

• Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis: Taveras missed most

of last season after ankle surgery and had hamstring trouble this spring. He will begin the year at Triple-A Memphis but remains the top prospect in one of baseball’s most talent-rich franchises.

• Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston: Bogaerts made his major league debut in August, then went on to help the Red Sox win the World Series. He Bogaerts hit .296 with two RBIs in 12 postseason games while spending most of his time at third base.

Now, Stephen Drew is gone, and the 21-year-old Bogaerts gets to move back to his natural position of shortstop. He also joins a deep Boston lineup, making for ideal conditions for the Aruba native to shine.

• Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati: The time is now for Hamilton, who was handed the job in center after Shin-Soo Choo signed a big free-agent deal with Texas. There are concerns about Hamilton’s ability to get on base, but his speed makes him one of most exciting players in the game. He had 13 steals in 14 attempts over 13 games last year with the Reds.

• Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit: When the Tigers traded Prince Fielder to Texas in November, it created an opening in the lineup for Castellanos, who hit .276 with 18 homers at Triple-A Toledo last year.

• Javier Baez, INF, Chicago Cubs: It looks as if Baez could be on that first wave of prospects coming through Chicago’s highly regarded minor league system. The shortstop drew attention for his bat speed during spring training and could get promoted to the foundering Cubs this summer.

BASEBALL

In a century at Wrigley, innovations abound $500 million project includes massive Jumbotron

By Andrew Seligman and Don Babwin The Associated Press

CHICAGO — It’s hard to think of Wrigley Field as anything but a place of heartbreak — a place where fans wait, season after season, for an elusive World Series title that never comes.

Yet, in the century without a championship, the ballpark has been in first, time and time again, in changing the way America watches baseball.

It was the first to let fans keep foul balls. The first with permanent concession stands. The first with organ music. The first to clean the park and broadcast games as part of an effort to diversify the fan base and attract women and their children to a game traditionally more popular among men.

“We think of all this as so obvious, but back then, this was considered revolutionary,” Chicago Cubs historian Ed Hartig said.

The ballpark will mark its 100th birthday this spring, and the Cubs plan a celebration in April to honor one of the nation’s most classic ballparks, where runs still register on a manual score-

board and watching a game is like taking a step back in time.

As the centennial approaches, the Cubs and Chicago have found themselves stuck in a debate about how far to go in modernizing the ballpark with the same Jumbotron that towers over other fields.

“When you put a Jumbotron in the outfield, I think you are messing with what makes Wrigley Wrigley,” said Phillip Bess, director of graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame’s architecture school and who helped lead an effort to save Fenway Park from demolition. “If the Cubs do that, it means they really don’t understand what it is about Wrigley that is unique (and) the kind of place people will come to even when the team is bad.”

But don’t be so quick to call Wrigley Field a tired, old home of a perennial loser. It might have been the last ballpark to install lights for night games, but the park’s ivy-covered walls are a defining feature of what once was a sparkling, modern ballpark run by men who were trying to create a new experience for fans.

FROM THE GROUND UP

The park was built by Charles Weeghman for a team in something called the Federal League, which was trying to give the more-established National and American

This file photo provided by the Chicago Cubs shows an artist’s rendering showing planned renovations at Wrigley Field. (AP files)

Leagues — which the Cubs and the crosstown White Sox played in — a run for their money.

After hiring the same architect who, a few years earlier, designed Comiskey Park for the White Sox, workers needed only two months to demolish the buildings that once housed a seminary and build a simple, single-story grandstand and the rest of the 14,000-seat Weeghman Park just in time for the start of the 1914 season. Finished two years after Boston’s Fenway Park, it cost about $250,000. Two years after the park opened, the Cubs moved in.

“It was considered a great looking park, a lot nicer than the rat-infested park the Cubs were playing in on the West Side,” said Stuart Shea, author of “Wrigley Field: The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines.”

More important is it was built with an eye to the future: It could be retrofitted and expanded, something that was considered genius, he said.

From almost the day the park was built, the owners started tinkering with the place. After nine homers were hit in the first three games — an astronomical total for the time — the Chicago Federals, the original tenants, picked up the left field fence and moved it back about as much as 50 feet in some spots. In the early 1920s, the Cubs expanded the seating capacity and the size of the playing field by slicing the grandstand into 11 pieces and moving them to create more space. The pitcher’s mound today sits where the batters’ box used to be.

Wrigley also was keen to understand the Cubs were losing money because women refused to come, or let their children come, to a filthy and unsafe ballpark.

CUBS FIRST ONES TO CLEAN

The park, renamed Cubs Park in 1919, began to feel different than anyplace else. Shea believes the reasons start with Weegham’s obsession with cleanliness, something he learned in the

restaurant business. Hartig said it was William Wrigley Jr., team owner P.K. Wrigley’s father, who, after a couple of years of investing in the team, bought Weeghman’s shares and started making changes.

“The Cubs were really the first ones to start cleaning the ballpark after every single game and (make) sure that the players always had the cleanest uniforms,” Hartig said.

Wrigley also cleaned the way the park operated.

“You could have a ticket and someone would be sitting in your seat already because the usher was bribed,” Hartig said. “So, coming home from the game with a bloody nose because there was a fight over a seat was not uncommon.”

To fix that, Wrigley hired a professional ushering service.

The Cubs also started to view the park as a “green space,” kind of like an urban oasis, said Tim Wiles, former director of research at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Cubs didn’t invent Ladies Day. But that didn’t

matter; they just did it better than anyone else, letting women in the park for free for every Friday home game. At the same time, they rejected the popular notion that if they put home games on the radio, fans would listen to games instead of attending them.

The games simply whet the appetite of fans.

A HOT TICKET

By 1927, two years after the first regular-season broadcast, the Cubs became the first National League team to draw more than a million fans.

Now, the famed ballpark is in for another makeover. The $500 million project, which includes a Jumbotron proposal, is on hold because the team wants assurances from the neighboring rooftop owners that they won’t sue over obstructed views.

The Cubs also said repeatedly they don’t want to destroy what makes Wrigley one of the most popular and recognizable sporting venues in the country.

C4 / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

TV TODAY

AUTO RACING 12:30 p.m. — NASCAR Sprint Cup: STP 500. Fox 3 p.m. — IndyCar: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. ABC

BASEBALL 1:30 p.m. — College: Baylor at West Virginia. Fox Sports 1 2 p.m. — College: UNLV at Nebraska.

Big Ten Network 2 p.m. — College: Kentucky at Vanderbilt. ESPNU 8 p.m. — MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres. ESPN

BASKETBALL Noon — NCAA Women’s Tournament: Maryland vs. Tennessee. ESPN 2:10 p.m. — NCAA Men’s Tournament: Michigan State vs.

Connecticut. CBS 2:30 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Tournament: Louisville vs. LSU. ESPN2 4:30 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Tournament: Penn State vs. Stanford. ESPN2 4:55 p.m. — NCAA Men’s Tournament: Michigan vs. Kentucky. CBS 7 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Tournament: North Carolina vs. South Carolina. ESPN2

GOLF 1 p.m. — PGA Tour: Valero Texas Open, Final Round. Golf Channel 3 p.m. — PGA Tour: Valero Texas Open, Final Round. NBC 7 p.m. — LPGA Tour: Kia Classic, Final Round. Golf Channel

HOCKEY Noon — NHL: Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers. NBC 5 p.m. — NCAA Tournament: Northeast Regional Final. ESPNU 5 p.m. — NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings. FSD 7:30 p.m. — NCAA Tournament: West Regional Final. ESPNU 7:30 p.m. — NHL: Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh. NBC Sports Network

SOCCER 8:30 a.m. — Fulham vs. Everton. NBC Sports Network 11 a.m. — Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur. NBC Sports Network 1:50 p.m. — Deportivo Toluca vs.

Tigres U.A.N.L. Univision

TENNIS 2:30 p.m. — ATP: Sony Open, Men’s Final. ESPN MONDAY

BASEBALL 1 p.m. — MLB: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates. ESPN 1 p.m. — MLB: Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers. FSD 3 p.m. — MLB: Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles. ESPN2 4 p.m. — MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds. ESPN 7 p.m. — MLB: Colorado Rockies at Miami Marlins. ESPN2 10 p.m. — MLB: Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels. ESPN2

BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Tournament: Regional Final. ESPN 7:30 p.m. — NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons. FSD 9:30 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Tournament: Regional Final. ESPN

HOCKEY 7:30 p.m. — NHL: Florida Panthers at New Jersey. NBC Sports Network 10 p.m. — NHL: Minnesota Wild at L.A. Kings. NBC Sports Network TUESDAY

BASEBALL 7 p.m. — MLB: New York Yankees at Houston Astros or Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays. MLB Network 10 p.m. — MLB: Cleveland Indians at Oakland Athletics. MLB Network

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — NCAA Women’s Tournament: Regional Final. ESPN 7 p.m. — Men’s NIT Semifinal: Teams TBA. ESPN2 8 p.m. — NBA: Houston Rockets at Brooklyn Nets. TNT 9 p.m. — Women’s College: NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Teams TBA. ESPN 9 p.m. — Men’s NIT Semifinal: Teams TBA. ESPN2 10:30 p.m. — NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers. TNT

HOCKEY 8 p.m. — NHL: Philadelphia Flyers at St. Louis Blues. NBC Sports Network WEDNESDAY

BASEBALL 1 p.m. — MLB: Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers. FSD 1 p.m. — MLB: Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers. MLB Network 8 p.m. — MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Texas Rangers. ESPN2

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — NBA: Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks. ESPN 7 p.m. — Girls High School: McDonald’s All-American Gamet. ESPNU 7 p.m. — NBA: Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers. FSD 9:30 p.m. — Boys High School: McDonald’s All-American Game. ESPN

HOCKEY 8 p.m. — NHL: Boston Bruins at De-

Scoreboard troit Red Wings. NBC Sports Network 10:30 p.m. — NHL: Phoenix Coyotes at L.A. Kings. NBC Sports Network

SOCCER 2:30 p.m. — UEFA Champions League: Quarterfinal:Paris SaintGermain vs. Chelsea. Fox Sports 1 11:15 p.m. — Men’s: United States vs. Mexico. ESPN THURSDAY

BASEBALL 12:30 p.m. — MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds. MLB Network 1 p.m. — MLB: Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers. FSD 2 p.m. — MLB: Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox. WGN 7 p.m. — Baseball: Michigan State at Lansing Lugnuts. Big Ten Network 7 p.m. — MLB: Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles or Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays. MLB Network 8 p.m. — College: South Carolina at Arkansas. ESPNU

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — Men’s College: NIT Final.

ESPN 8 p.m. — NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder. TNT 9 p.m. — Men’s College: Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championship. ESPN 10:30 p.m. — NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers. TNT

GOLF Noon — LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco Championship, First Round. Golf Channel 3 p.m. — PGA Tour: Shell Houston Open, First Round. Golf Channel 6 p.m. — LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco, First Round. Golf Channel

HOCKEY 8 p.m. — NHL: Minnesota at Chicago Blackhawks. NBC Sports Network 10:30 p.m. — NHL: L.A. Kings at San Jose Sharks. NBC Sports Network

TENNIS 1 p.m. — WTA: Family Circle Cup, Round of 16. ESPN2 FRIDAY

AUTO RACING 8:30 p.m. — Nationwide Series: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. ESPN2

BASEBALL 1 p.m. — MLB: Baltimore Orioles at Detroit Tigers. FSD 2 p.m. — MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Boston Red Sox or Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs. MLB Network 2 p.m. — MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs. WGN 6:30 p.m. — College: Penn State at Purdue. Big Ten Network 7 p.m. — MLB: N.Y. Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays or St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates. MLB Network

BASKETBALL 7 p.m. — NBA: Denver Nuggets at Memphis Grizzlies. ESPN 7:30 p.m. — NBA: Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets. FSD 9:30 p.m. — NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets. ESPN

GOLF Noon — LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco, Second Round. Golf Channel 3 p.m. — PGA Tour: Shell Houston Open, Second Round. Golf Channel 6 p.m. — LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco, Second Round. Golf Channel

HOCKEY 7 p.m. — NHL: Washington Capitals at N.J. Devils. NBC Sports Network

TENNIS 1 p.m. — WTA: Family Circle Cup, Quarterfinal. ESPN2 SATURDAY

BASEBALL 1 p.m. — MLB: Baltimore Orioles at Detroit Tigers. FSD 1 p.m. — MLB: Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians. Fox Sports 1 2 p.m. — MLB: Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Royals. WGN 4 p.m. — MLB: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers. Fox Sports 1 7 p.m. — MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates or Atlanta Braves at Washington. MLB Network 7:30 p.m. — College: Mississippi State at LSU. ESPNU

BASKETBALL 10 a.m. — Girls High School: Dick’s Sporting Goods National Tournament Final. ESPN2 Noon — Boys High School: Dick’s Sporting Goods National Tournament Final. ESPN 6 p.m. — NCAA Men’s Tournament Semifinal: Teams TBA. TBS 7 p.m. — NBA: Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards. WGN 8:30 p.m. — NCAA Men’s Tournament Semifinal: Teams TBA. TBS

GOLF 1 p.m. — PGA Tour: Shell Houston Open, Third Round. Golf Channel 3 p.m. — PGA Tour: Shell Houston Open, Third Round. NBC 5 p.m. — LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco, Third Round. Golf Channel

HOCKEY 7 p.m. — NHL: Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens. FSD

TENNIS 1 p.m. — WTA: Family Circle Cup, First Semifinal. ESPN2

BASKETBALL

NBA

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic

W

L

x-Toronto Brooklyn New York Boston Philadelphia

41 38 30 23 16

31 33 43 49 57

.569 — .535 2 ½ .411 11 ½ .319 18 .219 25 ½

Southeast y-Miami Washington Charlotte Atlanta

W 50 38 35 31

L 22 35 38 41

Pct GB .694 — .521 12½ .479 15½ .431 19

Orlando Central y-Indiana x-Chicago Cleveland

21 W 52 40 29

52 L 21 32 45

.288 29½ Pct GB .712 — .556 11 ½ .392 23 ½

Detroit Milwaukee

26 14

47 59

.356 .192

26 38

WESTERN CONFERENCE W L Pct

GB

Southwest

Pct

GB

x-San Antonio Houston Memphis Dallas New Orleans

57 49 43 44 32

16 23 29 30 41

.781 — .681 7½ .597 13½ .595 13½ .438 25

Northwest x-Oklahoma City Portland Minnesota Denver

W 53 47 36 32

L 19 27 35 41

Pct GB .736 — .635 7 .507 16 ½ .438 21 ½

Utah Pacific x-L.A. Clippers Golden State

23 W 52 45

50 L 22 27

.315 30 ½ Pct GB .703 — .625 6

Phoenix Sacramento L.A. Lakers

44 25 24

29 48 48

.603 7½ .342 26½ .333 27

17 28

EASTERN CONFERENCE GP 74 76 74 74 76 73 75 74 GP 74 75 73 74 74 74 74 74

W 51 43 41 34 36 30 27 20 W 47 41 39 38 34 31 32 29

L 17 26 24 26 32 29 40 45 L 22 30 27 30 28 28 32 35

OT Pts 6 108 7 93 9 91 14 82 8 80 14 74 8 62 9 49 OT Pts 5 99 4 86 7 85 6 82 12 80 15 77 10 74 10 68

RED WINGS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2 Detroit

0

3

1 —

4

Toronto

1

1

0 —

2

First Period—1, Toronto, Franson 5 (Gardiner, McClement), 10:57. Penalties—Legwand, Det (roughing), 14:48; Kessel, Tor (roughing), 14:48.

Second Period—2, Detroit, Helm 8 (Andersson), 3:05 (sh).

3, Detroit, Nyquist 26 (Franzen, Kindl), 4:37. 4, Detroit, Helm 9 (Kindl, Alfredsson), 7:57. 5, Toronto, Lupul 22 (Rielly, Gardiner), 18:57. Penalties—Sheahan, Det (holding), 2:09; Bolland, Tor (roughing, interference), 14:23.

Third Period—6, Detroit, Helm 10 (DeKeyser), 8:38.

Penalties—Tatar, Det (roughing), 6:38; Kessel, Tor (roughing), 6:38; van Riemsdyk, Tor (hooking), 11:30; Helm, Det (tripping), 18:24.

Shots on Goal—Detroit 7-10-11—28. Toronto 11-8-8—27.

Power-play opportunities—Detroit 0 of 3; Toronto 0 of 2.

Goalies—Detroit, Howard 18-18-11 (27 shots-25 saves). Toronto, Bernier 25-19-7 (28-24).

A—20,270 (18,819). T—2:30.

Referees—Francois St. Laurent, Brad Meier. Linesmen—Derek Nansen, Derek Amell.

MEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT

NHL

GF 237 199 221 199 220 210 179 142 GF 228 200 210 208 214 178 186 206

GA 155 189 198 211 239 246 244 222 GA 184 183 206 200 222 192 208 247

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central GP W L OT Pts GF x—St. Louis 73 50 16 7 107 238 x—Colorado 74 47 21 6 100 227 Chicago 75 42 18 15 99 247 Minnesota 74 37 26 11 85 183 Dallas 73 35 27 11 81 210 Winnipeg 74 33 32 9 75 206 Nashville 75 32 32 11 75 186 Pacific GP W L OT Pts GF x—San Jose 76 47 20 9 103 232 x—Anaheim 73 47 18 8 102 234 Los Angeles 74 43 25 6 92 185 Phoenix 74 36 26 12 84 205 Vancouver 75 34 30 11 79 183 Calgary 74 31 36 7 69 189 74 26 39 9 61 184 Edmonton

GA 164 202 196 188 210 216 226 GA 184 186 157 209 201 217 244

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Friday Philadelphia 4, Toronto 2 Pittsburgh 2, Columbus 1 Ottawa 5, Chicago 3 Dallas 7, Nashville 3

vs.

Milwaukee 7:30 p.m.

FSD

EAST REGIONAL REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best—of-3) (x—if necessary) Monday Siena vs. Fresno St., 10 p.m.

Wednesday Siena vs. Fresno St., TBA Friday x—Siena vs. Fresno St., TBA

WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT LINCOLN REGIONAL SECOND ROUND March 24 DePaul 74, Duke 65 BYU 80, Nebraska 76 March 25 At Storrs, Conn.

UConn 91, St. Joseph’s 52 At College Station Texas A&M 85, James Madison 69 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Saturday At Lincoln, Neb. UConn 70, BYU 51 Texas A&M 84, DePaul 65 STANFORD REGIONAL SECOND ROUND March 24 Stanford 63, Florida State 44 March 25 At Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina 62, Michigan St. 53 At University Park, Pa. Penn St. 83, Florida 61 At Seattle South Carolina 78, Oregon State 69 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Today At Stanford, Calif.

Stanford (30-3) vs. Penn State (24-7), 4:30 p.m.

South Carolina (29-4) vs. North Carolina (26-9), 7 p.m.

NOTRE DAME REGIONAL SECOND ROUND March 24 Notre Dame 84, Arizona St. 67 Kentucky 64, Syracuse 59 Oklahoma St. 73, Purdue 66 Baylor 75, California 56 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Saturday At Notre Dame, Ind. Baylor 90, Kentucky 72 Notre Dame 89, Oklahoma St. 72 LOUISVILLE REGIONAL SECOND ROUND March 24 Tennessee 67, St. John’s 51 March 25 At College Park, Md. Maryland 69, Texas 64 At Iowa City Louisville 83, Iowa 53 At Baton Rouge, La. LSU 76, West Virginia 67 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Today At Louisville, Ky. Tennessee (28-5) vs. Maryland (26-6), noon

Today Connecticut vs. Michigan State, 2:20 p.m.

SOUTH REGIONAL REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

DETROIT TIGERS 2014 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE

Thursday Memphis, Tenn.

Dayton 82, Stanford 72 Florida 79, UCLA 68 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday Florida 62, Dayton 52 MIDWEST REGIONAL REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Friday Indianapolis Michigan 73, Tennessee 71 Kentucky 74, Louisville 69 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Today Michigan vs. Kentucky, 5:05 p.m.

WEST REGIONAL REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Thursday Anaheim, Calif.

Wisconsin 69, Baylor 52 Arizona 70, San Diego State 64 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday Wisconsin 64, Arizona 63, OT FINAL FOUR Arlington, Texas April 5 East champion vs. Florida (36-2) Midwest champion vs. Wisconsin (30-7) NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP April 7 Semifinal winners

MEN’S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS March 25 Clemson 71, Belmont 68 Minnesota 81, Southern Miss 73 March 26 Florida State 78, Louisiana Tech 75 SMU 67, California 65 SEMIFINALS Tuesday Clemson (23-13) vs. SMU (26-9), 7 or 9:30 p.m.

Minnesota (23-13) vs. Florida State (22-13), 7 or 9:30 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP Thursday Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL QUARTERFINALS

March 26 At Albany, N.Y. Siena 61, Illinois State 49 At Fresno, Calif.

Fresno State 71, Old Dominion 64

THU

FRI

SAT

vs. KC 1:08 p.m.

FSD

vs. KC 1:08 p.m.

FSD

vs. BAL 1:08 p.m.

FSD

vs. BAL 1:08 p.m.

FSD

vs. Boston 8 p.m.

NBCSN

vs. Buffalo at Montreal 7:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

FSD+ FSD

at Indiana 7 p.m.

FSD

at Brooklyn vs. Boston 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

FSD FSD

vs.

MICHIGAN Connecticut STATE 2:20 p.m.

CBS

Friday New York Connecticut 81, Iowa State 76 Michigan State 61, Virginia 59 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 24 Siena 54, Penn State 52 Old Dominion 82, Radford 59 Illinois St. 62, Texas A&M 55 Fresno St. 72, Princeton 56 SEMIFINALS

WED

vs. Kentucky MICHIGAN 5:05 p.m.

CBS

FRIDAY MICHIGAN ST. (29-8) Payne 5-12 4-4 16, Appling 1-3 0-1 2, Harris 2-5 2-3 6, Dawson 9-16 6-8 24, Valentine 1-4 0-0 3, Byrd 0-0 0-0 0, Ellis III 0-0 0-0 0, Costello 1-1 0-0 2, Trice 1-4 2-2 5, Kaminski 1-2 0-0 3, Schilling 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-47 14-18 61.

VIRGINIA (30-7) Tobey 2-4 0-0 4, Harris 6-14 3-5 17, Brogdon 4-14 7-8 17, Perrantes 2-6 2-2 7, Mitchell 2-7 0-0 4, Anderson 1-4 0-0 3, T. Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Nolte 1-2 0-0 2, Gill 1-5 1-2 3, Atkins 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 20-57 13-17 59.

Halftime—Michigan St. 31-27. 3-Point Goals—Michigan St. 5-14 (Payne 2-5, Kaminski 1-1, Valentine 1-2, Trice 1-3, Appling 0-1, Harris 0-2), Virginia 6-18 (Brogdon 2-4, Harris 2-7, Perrantes 1-3, Anderson 1-4).

Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Michigan St. 32 (Dawson 10), Virginia 35 (Mitchell 6). Assists—Michigan St. 13 (Harris, Valentine 3), Virginia 10 (Perrantes 4). Total Fouls—Michigan St. 16, Virginia 16. A—19,314.

HOCKEY

TUE

vs. KC 1:08 p.m.

FSD

DETROIT PISTONS

MICHIGAN ST. 61, VIRGINIA 59

30 — 98 25 — 123

MON

DETROIT vs.

RED Tampa Bay WINGS 5 p.m.

FSD

FRIDAY

3-Point Goals—Detroit 6-21 (Jerebko 2-3, Singler 2-3, Caldwell—Pope 2-5, Siva 0-1, Stuckey 0-1, Datome 0-1, Bynum 0-2, Jennings 0-2, Smith 0-3), Philadelphia 12-21 (Thompson 4-4, Nunnally 2-2, Young 2-4, Carter—Williams 1-2, Williams 1-2, Anderson 1-3, Wroten 1-3, Ware 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Detroit 54 (Monroe 10), Philadelphia 52 (Sims, Carter—Williams 7). Assists—Detroit 20 (Siva, Stuckey 4), Philadelphia 29 (Wroten 9). Total Fouls—Detroit 20, Philadelphia 25.

Technicals—Jennings 2, Smith. Ejected—Jennings.

A-17,438 (20,328).

Atlantic y—Boston Montreal Tampa Bay Detroit Toronto Ottawa Florida Buffalo Metropolitan x—Pittsburgh N.Y. Rangers Philadelphia Columbus Washington New Jersey Carolina N.Y. Islanders

DETROIT TIGERS

TENNESSEE (24-13) Stokes 5-9 1-2 11, Maymon 1-4 0-0 2, Richardson 9-14 0-0 19, Barton 1-2 0-0 3, McRae 9-18 6-11 24, Moore 3-5 0-0 6, Thompson 1-4 1-1 3, Reese 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 30-57 8-14 71.

MICHIGAN (28-8) Robinson III 5-8 2-2 13, Morgan 7-9 1-1 15, Walton Jr. 2-2 3-3 9, Stauskas 5-12 1-2 14, LeVert 4-10 0-0 10, Albrecht 1-2 0-0 2, Horford 0-1 1-2 1, Irvin 3-5 0-0 9. Totals 27-49 8-10 73.

Halftime—Michigan 45-34. 3-Point Goals—Tennessee 3-11 (Reese 1-1, Barton 1-2, Richardson 1-2, Moore 0-1, McRae 0-5), Michigan 11-20 (Irvin 3-3, Stauskas 3-8, Walton Jr. 2-2, LeVert 2-5, Robinson III 1-1, Albrecht 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds— Tennessee 28 (McRae, Moore, Stokes 6), Michigan 26 (Morgan 7). Assists—Tennessee 11 (McRae, Moore, Richardson, Thompson 2), Michigan 14 (LeVert 5).

Total Fouls—Tennessee 13, Michigan 13. A—NA.

DETROIT (98) Smith 2-8 0-0 4, Monroe 7-16 6-8 20, Drummond 3-5 2-6 8, Jennings 1-5 0-0 2, Singler 3-6 2-2 10, Stuckey 3-11 11-11 17, Jerebko 3-4 2-2 10, Bynum 2-11 1-1 5, Caldwell—Pope 6-12 2-2 16, Siva 1-4 0-0 2, Mitchell 1-1 0-0 2, Datome 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 33-85 26-32 98.

PHILADELPHIA (123) Thompson 5-8 0-0 14, Young 9-17 1-1 21, Sims 8-14 0-0 16, Carter—Williams 6-14 8-10 21, Anderson 2-8 0-0 5, Varnado 4-8 1-1 9, Wroten 2-6 1-2 6, Williams 5-8 2-3 13, Davies 2-2 0-0 4, Ware 3-5 2-2 8, Nunnally 2-2 0-0 6. Totals 48-92 15-19 123.

28 37

SUN

MICHIGAN 73, TENNESSEE 71

76ERS 123, PISTONS 98

23 33

SPORTS CALENDAR

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Friday Orlando 110, Charlotte 105, OT Washington 91, Indiana 78 Toronto 105, Boston 103 Brooklyn 108, Cleveland 97 Miami 110, Detroit 78 Portland 91, Chicago 74 Minnesota 143, L.A. Lakers 107 Oklahoma City 94, Sacramento 81 New Orleans 102, Utah 95 San Antonio 133, Denver 102 Phoenix 112, New York 88 Golden State 100, Memphis 93 Saturday Philadelphia 123, Detroit 98 L.A. Clippers 118, Houston 107 Washington 101, Atlanta 97 Dallas 103, Sacramento 100 Miami 88, Milwaukee 67 San Antonio 96, New Orleans 90 Today Utah at Oklahoma City, 3 p.m.

Indiana at Cleveland, 3 p.m.

Toronto at Orlando, 6 p.m.

Minnesota at Brooklyn, 6 p.m.

Chicago at Boston, 7 p.m.

New York at Golden State, 9 p.m.

Memphis at Portland, 9 p.m.

Phoenix at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 p.m.

Monday San Antonio at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Washington at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Milwaukee at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Boston at Chicago, 8 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Sacramento at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

Memphis at Denver, 9 p.m.

New York at Utah, 9 p.m.

Detroit Philadelphia

Calgary 4, N.Y. Rangers 3 Edmonton 4, Anaheim 3, OT Saturday N.Y. Islanders 2, New Jersey 1, SO Boston 4, Washington 2 Colorado 3, San Jose 2 Tampa Bay 4, Buffalo 3, OT Detroit 4, Toronto 2 Montreal 4, Florida 1 Columbus 3, Carolina 2, OT Dallas at St. Louis, late Minnesota at Phoenix, late Anaheim at Vancouver, late Winnipeg at Los Angeles, late Today Boston at Philadelphia, 12:30 p.m.

Calgary at Ottawa, 5 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Detroit, 5 p.m.

Chicago at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.

Washington at Nashville, 8 p.m.

N.Y. Rangers at Edmonton, 8 p.m.

Monday Carolina at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.

Florida at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.

Winnipeg at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

Minnesota at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.

BASEBALL

Opponent Mon, March 31 Royals Wed, April 2 Royals Royals Thu, April 3 Fri, April 4 Orioles Sat, April 5 Orioles Sun, April 6 Orioles Tue, April 8 at Dodgers Wed, April 9 at Dodgers Fri, April 11 at Padres Sat, April 12 at Padres Sun, April 13 at Padres Tue, April 15 Indians Wed, April 16 Indians Thu, April 17 Indians Fri, April 18 Angels Sat, April 19 Angels Sun, April 20 Angels Mon, April 21 White Sox Tue, April 22 White Sox Wed, April 23 White Sox Thu, April 24 White Sox Fri, April 25 at Twins Sat, April 26 at Twins Sun, April 27 at Twins Tue, April 29 at White Sox Wed, April 30 at White Sox Fri, May 2 at Royals Sat, May 3 at Royals Sun, May 4 at Royals Mon, May 5 Astros Tue, May 6 Astros Wed, May 7 Astros Thu, May 8 Astros Fri, May 9 Twins Sat, May 10 Twins Sun, May 11 Twins Mon, May 12 at Orioles Tue, May 13 at Orioles Wed, May 14 at Orioles Fri, May 16 at Red Sox Sat, May 17 at Red Sox Sun, May 18 at Red Sox Mon, May 19 at Indians Tue, May 20 at Indians Wed, May 21 at Indians Thu, May 22 Rangers Fri, May 23 Rangers Sat, May 24 Rangers Sun, May 25 Rangers Mon, May 26 at Athletics Tue, May 27 at Athletics Wed, May 28 at Athletics Thu, May 29 at Athletics Fri, May 30 at Mariners Sat, May 31 at Mariners Sun, June 1 at Mariners Tue, June 3 Blue Jays Wed, June 4 Blue Jays Thu, June 5 Blue Jays Fri, June 6 Red Sox Sat, June 7 Red Sox Sun, June 8 Red Sox Mon, June 9 at White Sox Tue, June 10 at White Sox Wed, June 11 at White Sox Thu, June 12 at White Sox Fri, June 13 Twins Sat, June 14 Twins Sun, June 15 Twins Mon, June 16 Royals Tue, June 17 Royals Wed, June 18 Royals Fri, June 20 at Indians Sat, June 21 at Indians Sun, June 22 at Indians Tue, June 24 at Rangers Wed, June 25 at Rangers Thu, June 26 at Rangers

Time 1:08p 1:08p 1:08p 1:08p 1:08p 1:08p 10:10p 10:10p 10:10p 8:40p 4:10p 7:08p 7:08p 1:08p 7:08p 1:08p 1:08p 7:08p 7:08p 7:08p 1:08p 8:10p 2:10p 2:10p 8:10p 2:10p 8:10p 7:10p 2:10p 7:08p 7:08p 7:08p 1:08p 7:08p 1:08p 1:08p 7:05p 7:05p 12:35p 7:10p 7:10p 8:05p 7:05p 7:05p 12:05p 1:08p 7:08p 4:08p 1:08p 4:05p 10:05p 10:05p 3:35p 10:10p 10:10p 4:10p 7:08p 7:08p 1:08p 7:08p 7:15p 1:08p 8:10p 8:10p 8:10p 8:10p 7:08p 4:08p 1:08p 7:08p 7:08p 1:08p 7:05p 7:15p 1:05p 8:05p 8:05p 8:05p

TV FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D+ FS-D FS-D+ FS-D FS-D+ FS-D FS-D FS1 FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS1 FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D ESPN FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS1 FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FOX MLB.TV FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS1 FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FS-D FOX MLB.TV FS-D FS-D FS-D

Fri, June 27 Sat, June 28 Sun, June 29 Mon, June 30 Tue, July 1 Wed, July 2 Thu, July 3 Fri, July 4 Sat, July 5 Sun, July 6 Tue, July 8 Wed, July 9 Thu, July 10 Fri, July 11 Sat, July 12 Sun, July 13 Fri, July 18 Sat, July 19 Sun, July 20 Mon, July 21 Tue, July 22 Wed, July 23 Thu, July 24 Fri, July 25 Sat, July 26 Sun, July 27 Tue, July 29 Wed, July 30 Thu, July 31 Fri, Aug. 1 Sat, Aug. 2 Sun, Aug. 3 Mon, Aug. 4 Tue, Aug. 5 Wed, Aug. 6 Thu, Aug. 7 Fri, Aug. 8 Sat, Aug. 9 Sun, Aug. 10 Mon, Aug. 11 Tue, Aug. 12 Wed, Aug. 13 Thu, Aug. 14 Fri, Aug. 15 Sat, Aug. 16 Sun, Aug. 17 Tue, Aug. 19 Wed, Aug. 20 Thu, Aug. 21 Fri, Aug. 22 Sat, Aug. 23 Sun, Aug. 24 Tue, Aug. 26 Wed, Aug. 27 Thu, Aug. 28 Fri, Aug. 29 Sat, Aug. 30 Sun, Aug. 31 Mon, Sept. 1 Tue, Sept. 2 Wed, Sept. 3 Thu, Sept. 4 Fri, Sept. 5 Sat, Sept. 6 Sun, Sept. 7 Mon, Sept. 8 Tue, Sept. 9 Wed, Sept. 10 Fri, Sept. 12 Sat, Sept. 13 Sun, Sept. 14 Mon, Sept. 15 Tue, Sept. 16 Wed, Sept. 17 Fri, Sept. 19 Sat, Sept. 20 Sun, Sept. 21 Mon, Sept. 22 Tue, Sept. 23 Wed, Sept. 24 Thu, Sept. 25 Fri, Sept. 26 Sat, Sept. 27 Sun, Sept. 28

at Astros at Astros at Astros Athletics Athletics Athletics Rays Rays Rays Rays Dodgers Dodgers at Royals at Royals at Royals at Royals Indians Indians Indians at D-backs at D-backs at D-backs at Angels at Angels at Angels at Angels White Sox White Sox White Sox Rockies Rockies Rockies at Yankees at Yankees at Yankees at Yankees at Blue Jays at Blue Jays at Blue Jays at Pirates at Pirates Pirates Pirates Mariners Mariners Mariners at Rays at Rays at Rays at Twins at Twins at Twins Yankees Yankees Yankees at White Sox at White Sox at White Sox at Indians at Indians at Indians at Indians Giants Giants Giants Royals Royals Royals Indians Indians Indians at Twins at Twins at Twins at Royals at Royals at Royals White Sox White Sox White Sox Twins Twins Twins Twins

8:10p FS-D 4:10p FS-D 2:10p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 1:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D, ESPN 4:08p FS-D 1:08p MLB.TV 7:08p FS-D 1:08p FS-D 8:10p FS-D 8:10p FS-D 7:10p FS-D 2:10p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS1 1:08p FS-D 9:40p FS-D 9:40p FS-D 3:40p FS-D FS-D 10:05p FS-D 10:05p FS-D 9:05p FS-D TBD FS-D 7:08p 7:08p FS-D 1:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 1:08p FS-D FS-D 7:05p FS-D 7:05p FS-D 7:05p FS-D 1:05p FS-D 7:07p 1:07p FS-D 1:07p FS-D 7:05p FS-D 7:05p FS-D FS-D 7:08p FS-D 1:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 1:08p 7:10p FS-D 7:10p FS-D 1:10p FS-D 8:10p FS-D 7:10p FS-D FS-D 2:10p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 1:08p FS-D 8:10p 7:10p FS-D 2:10p FS-D 4:05p FS-D, ESPN 7:05p FS-D FS-D 7:05p FS-D 7:05p FS-D 7:08p FOX 1:08p FS-D 1:08p 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D FS-D 1:08p FS-D 8:10p FS-D 8:10p FS-D 8:10p 8:10p FS-D 7:10p FS-D 2:10p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D FS-D 1:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 7:08p FS-D 1:08p

AUTO RACING

NASCAR SPRINT CUP STP 500 LINEUP AFTER FRIDAY QUALIFYING; RACE TODAY AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY MARTINSVILLE, VA. LAP LENGTH: .526 MILES (CAR NUMBER IN PARENTHESES) 1. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 99.674 mph.

2. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 99.548.

3. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 99.428.

4. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 99.178.

5. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 99.048.

6. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 99.048.

7. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 98.883.

8. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 98.846.

9. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 98.625.

10. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 98.165.

11. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 97.764.

12. (15) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 97.382.

13. (55) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 98.965.

14. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 98.929.

15. (47) A J Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 98.888.

16. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 98.877.

17. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 98.712.

18. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 98.707.

19. (23) Alex Bowman, Toyota, 98.661.

20. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, 98.625.

21. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 98.61.

22. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 98.61.

23. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 98.599.

24. (34) David Ragan, Ford, 98.599.

25. (51) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 98.43.

26. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 98.379.

27. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 98.359.

28. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 98.333.

29. (32) Travis Kvapil, Ford, 98.246.

30. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 98.206.

31. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 98.2.

32. (95) Michael McDowell, Ford, 98.002.

33. (98) Josh Wise, Chevrolet, 97.957.

34. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 97.886.

35. (26) Cole Whitt, Toyota, 97.82.

36. (40) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 97.759.

37. (33) David Stremme, Chevrolet, owner points.

38. (83) Ryan Truex, Toyota, owner points.

39. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, owner points.

40. (7) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, owner points.

41. (30) Parker Kligerman, Toyota, owner points.

42. (36) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, owner points.

43. (66) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, owner points.

GOLF

PGA VALERO TEXAS OPEN SATURDAY AT TPC SAN ANTONIO, OAKS COURSE SAN ANTONIO; PURSE: $6.2 MILLION; YARDAGE: 7,435; PAR: 72 (36-36) THIRD ROUND Steven Bowditch 69-67-68—204 Matt Kuchar 70-72-65—207 Andrew Loupe 67-70-70—207 68-71-69—208 Pat Perez Kevin Na 70-70-69—209 Daniel Summerhays 72-68-70—210 Chad Collins 71-66-73—210 Ryan Palmer 72-71-68—211 Zach Johnson 70-71-70—211 Will MacKenzie 69-72-70—211

— The Associated Press; all times Eastern

MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / C5

State Sports LIONS

TIGERS

Was $292M too much?

Caldwell brings Lions ‘calmness and maturity’

By Kyle Meinke

kmeinke@mlive.com

Chris hris Iott

ott@mlive.com ciott@mlive.com

L

AKELAND, Fla. — For the most part, Detroit Tigers fans were ecstatic when they first heard the news that the Tigers and Miguel Cabrera had reached an agreement that will keep Cabrera in town for a long, long time.

How happy will they be in the final years of that contract? That remains to be seen.

Jon Morosi, of Foxsports.com, reported that the agreement is for an extension of eight years and will mean the Tigers are committed to almost $292 million to Cabrera over 10 seasons.

That’s $22 million per year for the next two seasons, under the terms of his current contract, and an average of $31 million per season after that.

Would that be too much money for a player who will turn 31 years old in April and will be 40 at the end of the deal?

Yes, probably, and, well, maybe not.

Let’s take a look at why.

1. The market keeps going up.

Anibal Sanchez is a perfect example.

When the Tigers re-signed him for five years and $80 million as a free agent prior to the 2013 season, many baseball followers thought they had overpaid.

One year later, it appears that Sanchez is a relative bargain. That’s not solely based on performance in 2013, even though he was excellent. It’s partially based on the market.

Homer Bailey signed a six-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds that will guarantee him $105 million, even though he still was a year away from free agency.

Bailey is younger than Sanchez, but Sanchez’s contract is much more teamfriendly than the one Bailey signed.

Sanchez, in my opinion, is a better pitcher.

Of course, every year when a premier free agent signs a deal, fans think — wow, that’s a lot of money. They should.

It’s a ton of money. But there’s another ton behind that one. And another. And another. And two or three after that.

Think about it. Whatever you and I make today won’t buy as much 10 years from now. Neither will, gulp, $30 million. You don’t even want to imagine how much money baseball players will make in 2022. It would blow your mind

Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera signs autographs March 21 before a spring exhibition baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Kissimmee, Fla. (Carlos Osorio /AP)

(as if $30 million or so a year doesn’t already).

2. Cabrera will keep getting older.

That, of course, is an obvious point.

But it’s worth looking at considering the Tigers are committed to paying Cabrera around $30 million during the season in which he turns 40, then another $30 million or so the year after that.

Cabrera is not a normal hitter. He’s likely the best hitter on the planet. His sharp eye and ability to hit for both power and average isn’t likely to abandon him for several years. Still, this deal will lock him up for 10 seasons. Until he’s 41.

At some point between now and then, Cabrera likely will become a designated hitter. He’s a solid first baseman — he’s clearly better there than at third — but one would have to believe that the Tigers will take him off the field at some point as he ages. Doesn’t $30 million or so seem like a lot of money to pay a designated hitter in his late 30s?

Well, it is. But, as we noted before, it might not seem like as much money in another eight or 10 years. This year’s “holy cow!” contract might not be next year’s bargain. But with the way the market keeps climbing, it might not be as shocking at the end as it is today.

David Ortiz, the 38-year-old DH who just led the Boston Red Sox to the World Series title, just extended his contract.

The terms: $15 million per year for this season and next, and $16 million for 2015, when he is 41. Plus, the team has a $16 million option for 2016 and 2017, when Ortiz is 42 and 43.

Did the Tigers do the right thing by reaching an agreement with Cabrera on this massive deal? Time will tell. It seems like two or three too many years to me.

But something tells me the majority of Tigers fans don’t care either way.

They’re just thrilled that the best hitter in the majors will be on their team for a long, long time.

PISTONS

The baddest Bad Boys together again

A

UBURN HILLS — The Bad Boys entered two by two, just like the biblical tale of species preservation against Mother Nature, which is something akin to what those Detroit Pistons of a quarter-century ago are, dinosaurs of a bygone era, never to be recreated by design of rules and business.

Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn entered together, fitting because they were the baddest of the Bad Boys. So definitively the designated enforcers, when they were broken apart after the 1989 championship and Mahorn went in for a dunk late in a game the following year when the Pistons would win it again, but he was playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Laimbeer took the ball out of the hoop and shoved it in his face.

Dennis Rodman restrained Mahorn, while Charles Barkley went after Laimbeer.

It’s the kind of thing you always see in Bad Boys recollections, even if it tends to overshadow the real basketball skill involved in overcoming the Celtics and Lakers of the 1980s and fending off the oncoming Bulls for a while.

“When you say ‘Bad Boys,’ you think of bad things, and, basically, they’re going to show all the physical play,” Mahorn said. “We had role players who were very skilled.

Everybody committed. You commit to one common goal,

David Mayo

dmayo @mlive.com

which was to win a championship, and the one common goal was to win. We played the game like the game was supposed to be played. We used our tools.”

They entered two by two, most likely, in the interest of protecting Joe Dumars from the boobirds. The president of basketball operations entered the court with his former backcourt running mate, Isiah Thomas, and there’s no way the greatest Piston was getting booed.

Attendance was 21,231, and the Pistons really meant it this time. It was loud, and these were fans who came to celebrate, not denigrate.

Still, their identities were so unique, not just Zeke and Joe D., but Worm, and Spider, and The Microwave, and Buddha, and even the two toughest of the bunch.

That’s why Laimbeer said it was such a special era to grow up around Detroit basketball during the years surrounding those 1989 and 1990 titles, because young players could pattern their games around a variety of Pistons, “depending on who they thought was

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jim Caldwell has been around the Detroit Lions’ headquarters for only a couple months and has yet to meet most of his players.

He’s prohibited from working with any of them until next month.

But that hasn’t slowed him from laying a foundation for how business Caldwell will be done in Allen Park. And though the Lions are trying not to dwell on the failed Jim Schwartz regime, it is clear they’re pleased with the direction of the franchise.

“I think Jim has brought calmness and maturity immediately to the organization,” Lions vice chairman Bill Ford said this week at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando. “His demeanor is something everybody remarks upon. And I like very much the staff he has put together.”

His demeanor seems to stem from, of all places, Ross Perot. The politician and former U.S. presidential hopeful once said that “everything’s on the razor’s edge.”

In other words, success is attained by walking a disciplined and fine line. Once the small stuff starts to slip, everything can fall apart.

So Caldwell’s job now is to establish the line, then make sure everyone is walking it.

“It’s got to be fought for every single day, and that’s

the way it is,” Caldwell said.

“Otherwise, things start to slip just a little bit. And particularly when it’s new, you have to repeat it over and over and over and over again to make certain everybody understands exactly what you want done.

“Things you see, you have to point out. You have to be able to set standards, you have to be able to give them guidance and direction without being overbearing, without being a micro-manager.

But things that matter to you in terms of standards and things of that nature have to be set, and set early, and they have to be fought for on a daily basis.”

Caldwell said he’s already met with the various departments in Allen Park to relay what he expects, and he has done the same with his new coaching staff.

“All those guys haven’t been together,” Caldwell said. “That’s all new. We have to go through all that so they get a feel, so they get an understanding of what we expect.

“Now, the great thing we’ve done at this point in time is we’ve set the stage for the entire year on how we’re going to practice in terms of OTAs, how we’re going to meet, the content of the information we’re going to make certain we distribute. That’s constant.

“When we do get a chance to go on the field with them — it’s going to be a couple weeks after we start — how we want that to go, what message we want sent and things of that nature, that’s constant.”

RED WINGS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2

Helm hat trick keys big win

By Ansar Khan

akhan1@mlive.com

TORONTO — Darren Helm started Saturday’s game in the unfamiliar role as the Detroit Red Wings’ top-line center.

Midway through the third period, he was back in his customary third-line center slot. And by the end of the night he was looking like the best third-line center in the NHL, which coach Mike Babcock has called him several times in the past.

Helm recorded his first career hat trick to lift the Red Wings to a pivotal 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.

The Red Wings (34-26-14) snapped a three-game losing streak and sent the Maple Leafs to their eighth consecutive loss. Detroit (82 points)

moved two points ahead of Toronto and Washington in the battle for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They are tied with Columbus, which beat Carolina 3-2 in overtime on Saturday.

The Red Wings, Blue Jackets and Capitals have two games in hand on the Maple Leafs. Columbus owns the non-shootout wins tiebreaker over Detroit.

Gustav Nyquist scored his 26th of the season and Jakub Kindl had a pair of assists for the Red Wings, who finished 3-0-1 vs. the Maple Leafs this season. Jimmy Howard made 25 saves for Detroit.

UPDATE Next: Tampa Bay Lightning at Red Wings, 5 p.m. today, FSD

76ERS 123, PISTONS 98

Former general manager Jack McCloskey, center, stands for a team picture alongside the 1989 NBA championship trophy during a Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys 25-year reunion halftime event Friday at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Jake May/MLive.com)

better, or how they wanted to play basketball.”

Could their games have translated today?

“Sure, why not?” Laimbeer said. “The athletes are bigger, stronger, faster and make a lot more money. That’s the only difference.”

The way teams are constructed is different, too. The champion Miami Heat are built around three stars.

The Pistons had one true superstar, Thomas, and a 10-deep roster. Mahorn was muscle but also a student of post play who knew how to neutralize much bigger men. Laimbeer was muscle but also a deft pick-and-pop player before the term was

popularized.

Laimbeer was the child of privilege, who joked while with the Pistons that he was the only NBA player who earned less than his father.

Mahorn worked his way to the NBA against small-college odds. He got upside down financially in the real-estate bust, and lost his 1989 championship ring in the effort to pay creditors.

He’s a working-class man making a living in basketball, which is neither bad nor what he envisioned. Yet he has something money can’t buy.

“The one thing that no one ever took from me,” Mahorn said, “is I won a championship in the NBA.”

No match for worst ever

By Brendan Savage bsavage@mlive.com

PHILADELPHIA — In a season filled with forgettable games, the Detroit Pistons played one Saturday night that’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Not only was it the Pistons’ worst loss of season gone terribly wrong, but it’s one nobody is going to forget as Detroit heads toward a fifth straight season without a playoff berth.

The Philadelphia 76ers, on the verge of setting a record for the most consecutive losses by a team in any of the four major U.S. pro leagues, instead snapped a 26-game losing streak by hammering the Pistons 123-98.

The 26 straight losses matched the record set by the NFL’s Tampa Bay

Buccaneers in 1976-77 and matched by the NBA’s 200910 Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Sixers also lost their previous 18 at home, leaving them one shy of matching the NBA record set by the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks.

The 76ers put up 70 first-half points — the most the Pistons have allowed this season — en route to a 19-point lead at halftime, when Detroit point guard Brandon Jennings was long gone after being ejected in the first quarter.

Michael Carter-Williams had 17 of his 21 points in the first half to lead Philadelphia (16-57). Thaddeus Young also scored 21 for Philadelphia.

The Pistons (26-47) never got closer than 18 points in the third quarter and trailed 98-68 entering the fourth.

C6 / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

National&State Sports COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Cauley-Stein doubtful for Kentucky Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein had a walking boot protecting his injured left ankle Saturday and coach John Calipari said the sophomore was doubtful for the regional final against Michigan.

“He’s acting like he thinks he can do something,” Calipari said. “I would be stunned if he played.”

Cauley-Stein left Friday’s win over Louisville with about 13 minutes left in the first half and did not return.

He told trainers he felt something pop in his ankle.

The 7-foot forward, considered a top-15 pick if he decides to leave for the NBA after this season, averages seven points, 6.2 rebounds and 24 minutes per game for the eighth-seeded Wildcats.

Wisconsin, Florida go to Final Four

Frank Kaminsky had 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead Wisconsin to a 64-63 overtime win over Arizona on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif., to earn a trip to the Final Four.

Scottie Wilbekin scored 14 of his 23 points in the first half, and Florida advanced to the Final Four with a 62-52 win Saturday night over the 11th-seeded Dayton Flyers in the South Region final.

Florida (36-2) reached its fifth Final Four after losing at this point in each of the past three NCAA tournaments.

Buckeyes acquire Temple transfer

Ohio State has confirmed that Temple big man Anthony Lee is transferring to play for the Buckeyes. The 6-foot-9 Lee, set to graduate from Temple in May, would be eligible next year for one season. Lee averaged 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Owls last year.

Ware to transfer A year after his gruesome leg injury in the NCAA tournament, Kevin Ware is transferring from Louisville.

He had a rod inserted in the leg and tried to come back this season. He averaged 1.7 points over nine games but took a medical redshirt.

BASEBALL

Drug penalties stiffened

contract on Jan. 15, won the Dodgers’ season opener 3-1 against Arizona last weekend.

TENNIS

Serena is champ; Nadal, Djokovic ‘win’ •Serena Williams won a record seventh Key Biscayne title Saturday when she overcame a slow start and a set point to beat Li Na 7-5, 6-1 at the Sony Open.

•No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Novak Djokovic advanced to the Sony Open final without playing a point.

Both received walkovers when their semifinal opponents withdrew for health reasons. That left Nadal and Djokovic to play for the title today in their 40th career meeting and their first of 2014. It was the first time since at least 1968 that an ATP Tour event had two walkovers in the semifinals.

TRACK

Pistrorious trial delayed The murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has been delayed until April 7 because one of the legal experts who will assist the judge in reaching a verdict is sick, abruptly ending expectations Friday that the double-amputee athlete was about to testify on his fatal shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

UConn, Notre Dame, Baylor, A&M win •Kaleena MosquedaLewis had 19 points to lead four Connecticut players in double figures, and the defending national champion Huskies (37-0) shook off BYU early in the second half to win 70-51 in the NCAA women’s regional semifinals Saturday.

•Natalie Achonwa got Notre Dame going and finished with 23 points, and Jewell Loyd added 20 to lead the Fighting Irish (35-0) to an 89-72 win over Oklahoma State.

•Odyssey Sims scored 25 points, including her 1,000th this season, to lead No. 2 seed Baylor (32-4) to a 90-72 rout of third-seeded Kentucky.

•Courtney Walker scored 25 points, and Texas A&M (27-8) beat DePaul 84-65.

GOLF

Bowditch leads; Phil withdraws

Steven Bowditch opened a three-stroke lead Saturday In the wake of the in the Texas Open, while Phil Biogenesis scandal that led Mickelson withdrew after to 14 suspensions last sum10 holes because of a pulled mer, Major League Baseball muscle in his right side. and its players’ union Bowditch, the 30-yearannounced they are toughen- old Australian seeking his ing penalties and increasing first PGA Tour title, shot a the frequency of testing in 4-under 68 to reach 12 under the most substantial reviat TPC San Antonio. Matt sions to their drug agreeKuchar and Andrew Loupe ment in eight years. were tied for second. Kuchar Players suspended during shot 65, and Loupe had a 70. the season for a performanceMickelson withdrew after enhancing drug violation will pulling the muscle teeing off not be eligible for that year’s on No. 1 — his 10th hole of postseason. In addition, disthe round. He hopes to play cipline will increase from 50 next week in the Houston games to 80 for a first testing Open, the last event before violation and from 100 games the Masters. to a season-long 162 for a second. A third violation remains Kerr leads in LPGA a lifetime ban.

Cristie Kerr made a 55-foot par-saving putt after hitting Kershaw on DL her final approach into the Los Angeles Dodgers ace water Saturday at Aviara, Clayton Kershaw was placed giving her a share of the lead on the 15-day disabled list with Lizette Salas after the Saturday for the first time in third round of the Kia Classic his seven-year career because in Carlsbad, Calif. of a swollen muscle in his left FOOTBALL upper back.

Kershaw, 26, has made 33 starts, struck out at least 229 Steelers add Blount batters and logged 227 2/3 The Pittsburgh Steelers innings or more in each of the and free agent running last three seasons — includback LeGarette Blount have ing a career-high 236 innings agreed on a two-year conlast year, when he finished tract that will give the team 16-9 with an NL-best 232 needed depth in the backstrikeouts and a 1.83 ERA. field behind budding star Kershaw, who signed a Le’Veon Bell. $215 million, seven-year — The Associated Press

NCAA TOURNAMENT

Beilein: Respect the veterans

By Nick Baumgardner

like terrific basketball players.

“I wish we’d all just embrace the kid INDIANAPOLIS — For Michigan and that’s a grinder for four years instead of making this huge thing about freshmen Kentucky, the kids have most certainly stars.” been all right.

While most of Kentucky’s five freshJohn Calipari’s Wildcats start five freshmen. They’re the youngest team in men starters — Aaron and Andrew Harrison, James Young, Julius Randle America. and Dakari Johnson — will have to John Beilein’s Wolverines have one answer NBA-related questions soon, if senior, and get almost all of its production from sophomores. They’re the sec- they haven’t had to already all season, Michigan’s old veteran talked about a ond-youngest team in the tournament. few different things Saturday.

So it seemed natural Saturday in Michigan fifth-year senior Jordan Indianapolis that both Calipari and Morgan spent a portion of his interview Beilein were peppered with questions session Saturday discussing his grad about youth in advance of their Elite school project as a post-grad student in Eight matchup today.

Michigan’s college of engineering.

Calipari seemed fine with the line of Beilein and Calipari are similar in questioning. that both of their teams rely heavily on Beilein had a different take. young, talented, future NBA players for “I understand that’s a media thing. their success.

Freshmen playing is such an interestBut there’s a marked difference in ing fact that people make so much of it, and I get it. I get it,” Beilein said. “But my there, too. Calipari does this on purpose. goodness, there’s so many freshmen out He seeks out players with one and done there. I pointed out the two freshmen the potential, and — better than anyone other day that are playing for Tennessee going in the game today — reels them in, that hardly played as a freshman. Hardly gets them ready and gets them drafted.

“We have kids from all over the played as a freshman. And now they’re nbaumgardner@mlive.com

Caris LeVert takes a shot.

(Melanie Maxwell/MLive.com)

Spike Albrecht inbounds the ball. (Melanie Maxwell/MLive.com)

country,” Calipari explained Saturday.

“If they’re from Texas or California or Wyoming or South Dakota, and they’re going to be good players for us, and they want this challenge.

“This isn’t for every player.”

Beilein, on the other hand, never intended for this to happen. Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. were three-star recruits. Glenn Robinson III was not a top 150 player when he committed to the program. Nik Stauskas was basically an unknown.

The only true nationally highly-publicized recruit on Michigan’s roster is Mitch McGary — who won’t play today.

On top of that, Beilein said he wasn’t even aware that Kentucky started five freshmen until he looked at the team’s roster Saturday morning.

Freshmen are the focus in today’s college basketball world, and probably will continue to be as long as the NBA’s one-and-done law continues to be in existence. But that doesn’t mean Beilein has to enjoy it.

“Let’s reward the (veteran) kid that really works hard just as much as the freshmen stars,” he said.

Adreian Payne dunks for two points. (Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

Tom Izzo instructs his team.

(Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

Trice hopes for a memorable game with UConn

By Mike Griffith

that knocked out the Spartans’ diminutive guard for 19 days and five games.

NEW YORK — When Travis Trice “It was kind of a freak accident. I didn’t tells you he doesn’t remember much mean to head butt him. I was hoping he about Michigan State’s 2012-13 seasonwas fine. I didn’t think it was going to be opening game against Connecticut at that serious, but it was.”

Ramstein Air Base in Germany last seaTrice, whose health issues have been son, it’s not a matter of being coy. well-documented, tried to joke about It’s physiological — not psychological. the injury but maintained a more seriTrice doesn’t remember, because he ous undertone. can’t remember. The concussion he “I saw the play, Shabazz put me out suffered in the second half robbed his half the year,” Trice said. “But it’s cool, brain of the capacity to retain his short- I’m just looking forward to it, I just term memory from that experience. want to make the Final Four.

“To be honest, we had the game on “After watching it, he did a spin move, earlier this year, and I don’t even remem- and I went over there to take a charge. ber the second half. I don’t even remem- It sucked, but everything happens for a ber the game to be honest, just from the reason.” concussion and being so long ago,” Trice More recently, Trice has applied said. “I don’t remember the game.” that logic to the wrist injury that Keith UConn senior point guard Shabazz Appling suffered. It led to Trice making Napier remembers, because he torched three starts and gaining valuable expethe Spartans for 25 points in the 66-62 rience running the team from the point.

UConn victory.

With Appling still struggling in some That was then, and this is now. But aspects of his game, Trice has had to as the East Region Elite Eight matchup step up and hit some timely shots to fuel between No. 7 seed UConn (29-8) and No. the Spartans’ NCAA tournament run.

4 seed Michigan State (29-8) approaches, Trice’s 3-pointer against Harvard the teams’ last meeting is recalled. in the Round of 32 game in Spokane, “I think I, I think I broke his nose Wash., enabled Michigan State to or something like that,” Napier said, reclaim the lead after the Crimson had asked about the collision with Trice made a second-half run. mgriffith@mlive.com

Morgan

Against Virginia, Trice’s 3-pointer put the Spartans back on top, 43-40, with 9:12 left to play after the Cavaliers opened the second half with a 9-1 run to take the lead.

“That was a big 3 by Trice,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “I felt like momentum shifted.”

Trice, a carer 42.3-percent shooter beyond the 3-point arc (112 of 265, including 5 of 10 in this year’s NCAA tourney), said he’s never lacked confident in his shot.

“It’s just a lot of hard work and preparation,’’ the 6-foot, 170-pound Trice explained.

“Early in the year, I didn’t’ have some of those opportunities, but with injures and guys being out, it forced me to step into that role,” he said.

“I’ve always been confident in what I do, but with that experience, it took it to another level.”

As for avenging the concussion against UConn, Trice made it clear that his efforts will remain within the framework of coach Tom Izzo’s scheme. “(Ryan) Boatright and Napier are two of the best guards in the country, so we’ve got our hands full coming into this game,” Trice said.

been a block, a charge or a no-call will be discussed in Knoxville for years to come.

CONTINUED FROM C1 Referee David Hall made and a trip to the Elite Eight. the decisive call. He blasted Having defended Stokes his whistle, reached back, and all night, Morgan expected pointed down the floor. the Vols to run a play for one Foul on Stokes. Michigan of their two high-scoring ball. guards, Jordan McRae or “I don’t think I fouled him, Jordan Morgan. Then, though, but it was a smart play for the realization set in that the him to try to take the charge,” game was in his hands.

Stokes said. “He pretty much “I knew they were going anticipated it.” to throw it to him when they “I knew it was a charge set up the screen to get him itself, but as far as them actuopen.” Morgan said. “From ally calling it and maybe getthere, it was just, I didn’t want ting it right, I didn’t know,” to foul, and I know he likes to Morgan said. play bully ball, so I just got in The play and Morgan’s position to not let him get to stat line debunked a week of the middle.” doubt. When Michigan was Morgan planted his feet like gameplanning for Tennessee a gale force wind was coming. and Stokes, coach John Stokes stormed in.

Beilein decided to practice Whether it should have double-teaming in case

Morgan needed help.

“Jordan took it as an insult all week,” Beilein said. “He wanted No. 5 — Stokes — by himself. No help. ... He was going to handle it. And he did it.”

Afterward, Morgan was swarmed by media upon entering the Michigan locker room. Reporters left Nik Stauskas (15 points) and Glenn Robinson III (13 points) and Caris LeVert (10 points) to talk to the night’s star.

In his 140th career game at Michigan, he recorded the 104th win of his career.

That now stands as a program record.

“I’m telling you, that young man, when it’s all said and done, he’s going to be one of the great Michigan winners and leaders that we’ve ever

had,” Beilein said.

Asked about a torrid NCAA tournament that’s seen him average 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game, Morgan drew a long pause.

After yelling his way off the court in Indianapolis, he softly said, “I don’t want to go home.”

Today, Morgan gets another “mismatch” in the form of Kentucky freshman star Julius Randle, the 6-9 forward who is averaging 15.1 points and 10.7 rebounds.

“Sometimes it gets personal when people talk about our inability to compete with people,” Morgan said. “And it’s like, we’ve been competing all year long.”

Sounds like Morgan sees the mismatch the other way around.

Dawson

8.2 rebounds in his past six games. In the NCAA tournament, he’s averaging 20 points and nine rebounds.

“Coaches kept telling me, and my teammates kept telling me, ‘We just need more and more out of you,’” Dawson said. “Sometimes I look at them like, ‘How much do you need?’”

The answer from Izzo, of

course, is — even more.

“I think sometimes adversity or a slap in the face or whatever you want to call it, sooner or later you got to put up or shut up,” Izzo said. “And to Branden’s credit, he really has gotten better.

“But I swear to you, I think he’s got a long way to go yet.

And that’s the exciting part for me.”

CONTINUED FROM C1

he’s playing right now,” Travis Trice said. “Knock on wood.

“But seriously, BJ is a great player. I think, honestly, when he broke his hand, and even when he tore his ACL, it made him appreciate basketball.

After he broke his hand, just

his rehab and how much harder he’s worked, it’s a testament to him.”

And it’s a testament to what everyone told Dawson he could be, all the we-wantmores that almost pushed him away.

Dawson — who averaged 8.7 points in his first two years at Michigan State — is averaging 17.5 points and

MUSKEGON CHRONICLE / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / C7

Outdoors “We wanted to celebrate the trails we have and resurrect the Trailways program.”

SEN. JOHN MOOLENAAR, R-MIDLAND, A SPONSOR OF SB 873-877

Volunteers from the North Country Trail Association create a new section of the seven-state trail that runs through Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, portions of which will become part of Gov. Rick Snyder’s showcase trail. (Howard Meyerson/ MLive.com)

MICHIGAN

Five-bill package seeks to leverage local byways

Branding Michigan as a trail state

M

ichigan has had a number of nicknames: The Water Wonderland, The Great Lakes State, The Wolverine State, The Mitten State — and now we may get another: The Pure Michigan Trails State.

A five-bill package introduced to the Michigan Senate on March 20 seeks to establish that brand for Michigan. The sponsors are working together to amend the 1994 Michigan Trailways Act in an effort to provide an official boost to all things “trail.”

The sponsors are Sens. John Moolenaar, R-Midland; Arlan Meekhoff, R-Olive Township; Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell; Geoffrey Hansen, R-Hart; and Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba. Their bills, SB 873-877, are tiebarred and have been sent to various committees.

What the package does is establish the Pure Michigan Trail Network by establishing designations for Pure Michigan Trail Towns, Pure Michigan Trails and Pure Michigan Water Trails. Those designations would be made by the Michigan DNR director upon recommendation of the Natural Resources Commission.

Designated trails and towns would be eligible for funding from the Pure Michigan Trail Fund, the new name for the Michigan Trailways Fund. That was established to receive revenues from a variety of uses along the trails, from billboards and easements to concessions, which never really amounted to much money.

The bill sponsors are looking to celebrate Michigan’s prospective status as the top trail state in the nation.

“I represent districts in northern Michigan where recreational use of trails is of tremendous importance,” said Sen. John Moolenaar.

“We wanted to celebrate the trails we have and resurrect the Trailways program. There is growing emphasis on developing a true, statewide integrated trails network.

funding. And that means a commitment by the state to find those funds. Otherwise, it will amount to little more than a momentary marketing splash. howardmeyerson @gmail.com Bob Wilson, a policy advisor for the Senate Majority Policy Office, said some money will be available the first year — likely $100,000 to $200,000 — a one-time appropriation that will “There is no question that the Pure require finding a “dedicated funding source Michigan campaign has been a huge success. to continue.” Gov. Snyder also has proposed And the governor has recognized goals with a $2.5 million appropriation for his border to respect to trails, so we felt this was a good border showcase trail, which would become a opportunity.”

Pure Michigan Trail.

The legislative push follows up on rec“It’s a one-time appropriation to jump start ommendations made in 2013 by the state’s the program,” Wilson said. “It will give them Snowmobile and Trails Advisory Council, money to make designations and work with which worked with the DNR to develop the latcommunities that want to be trail towns, but est state trail plan. That was the group formed we don’t want to keep going back to the

by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who began the general fund.” statewide conversation about interconnected Moolenaar added: “Our goal in the short run trails and communities. is to gather a critical mass and move the ball That this next iteration of Michigan’s longforward because it is a great idea.” As for longThe Pure Michigan Trail network will include established trail history comes from the term, sustainable funding, he said: “We will some of the state’s top trails for hikers.

Republican side of the Legislature speaks have to think creatively and out of the box.” volumes about how things have advanced with One exciting provision of the legislation calls Ç GO ONLINE regard to the value of recreation trails — for for the creation of an electronic trail database Follow Howard Meyerson on his blog, The health, for recreation and for the economy. It that people may access with mobile applicaOutdoor Journal, at howardmeyerson.com. also speaks to Gov. Rick Snyder’s vision. Word tions, thus expanding and modernizing a very in Lansing is this is a “slam dunk.” limited set of state resources. It is a bright idea “The Michigan Trailways Act is so outdated, that is right for the time. and we have come so far since that time, we But amid the gloss of this recent legislative really needed to do something to elevate all If you’ve not heard of the Michigan move is an important core element that should trails in Michigan,” said Nancy Krupiarz, Trailways Act, you’re not alone. That 1994 not be forgotten. The history of Michigan’s executive director of the Michigan Trails and legislation called for designation of certain trail success goes back more than 20 years.

Greenways Alliance, a Lansing-based nontrails as “Michigan Trailways,” a special cachet This effort has been made possible by the profit. “That’s what this does for equestrian reserved for top-quality trails that would DNR, local communities and thousands of trails, water trails, multi-use trails, ORVs and be eligible for funding from the Michigan volunteers. Those are the regular people like snowmobiles.

Trailways Fund, now to be renamed the Pure you and me who got excited, who took it upon “Water trails have (historically) been left Michigan Trails Fund. Nonprofit friends themselves to do the work, find the money, out of the mix. There are grassroots groups groups and others will be able to apply for convince their neighbors and push the DNR who are working on them, but they were not grants from the fund. further when needed. getting recognition at the state level. These What may come of this remains to be seen.

Those folks are the real shining stars of the are great new trails, and they need to be recog- Pure Michigan is a catchy slogan and brand, future Pure Michigan Trail State. I thank you nized within the law.” but to make it work will require significant all.

Howard Meyerson

EMPIRE

Sleeping Bear Dunes crews pledge to be mindful of bat habitats The Associated Press

Officials at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore say crews will take care to avoid displacing roosting endangered bats while they are removing diseased and dying trees from the park.

National Park Service officials are reworking their hazard tree management plan to allow them to take down more diseased trees before they become dangerous to visitors at the popular northern Lower Peninsula

GO ONLINE nps. gov/slbe

attraction along Lake Michigan.

From March or April to October, they’ll be mindful of the endangered Indiana bat. The bats like to roost in large trees with peeling bark and many crannies, and that could include diseased and dying trees.

“The bats might be using those trees during the summer time for maternity roosts or any other kind of roost-

ing habitat,” said Vincent Cavalieri, a wildlife biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “It’s just something for the park to make sure any tree removal will be accompanied by some sort of checking for bats during summer months when the bats will be using the trees.”

Both the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat, which is on a proposed list of endangered species, can be found in the area. Bats tend to hibernate through the winter

The Indiana bat is an endangered species that roosts in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. (MLive.com files)

in caves, but once temperatures rise, they head out to

forests to mate and roost.

Roosting bats could become disoriented or killed if their roosting trees are removed, Cavalieri said.

“It likely would just displace them, and they’d have to go searching for a different habitat,” Cavalieri said. “It could be especially stressful for pregnant bats or bats that recently gave birth.”

Fish and Wildlife officials don’t want any trees with bats to be removed.

“If we want to cut trees

during that period, we have to find ways to minimize and mitigate impacts to those species,” said Kevin Skerl, the Chief of Natural Resources at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Earlier this year, the National Park Service said it wanted to stay ahead of beech bark disease at Sleeping Bear Dunes and create a more aggressive tree take-down and restoration policy. The lakeshore’s ash trees also are being hit by the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle.

4760494-02

C8 / SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 / MUSKEGON CHRONICLE

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