Spring is officially upon us ? although it’s tough to recognize that here in Michigan.
The signs of warmer weather to come are evident in the sports world. Spring training baseball games are wrapping up, and the regular season is soon to come. College basketball’s Final Four has been set after another exciting round of March Madness.
Most of all, from a local standpoint, the spring sports seasons in Brandon and Goodrich are right around the corner.
While it will be a treat to attend games outdoors in sunny weather (hey, it’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it), the recently concluded winter sports season provided its share of good moments that are worth recognizing once more.
So, here are some of the highlights:
‘Goodrich’s wrestling team produced three wrestlers that finished in the top three in their respective weight classes at the Division 3 individual state wrestling finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills March 7-9. Heading up that list was senior Barrett Johnson, who took the championship in the 189-lb. bracket after bowing out in the second round the previous two years. Junior Garrett Higdon (103) and senior Jeff O’Mara (171) earned third place finishes in their weight classes. Congratulations to all three grapplers on a job well done.
‘The Brandon hockey team continued to make significant strides in a short span, winning its second straight regional title in only the program’s fourth year of existence. Brandon is returning a strong core of players next year and should build on its impressive list of accomplishments.
‘Goodrich hockey coach Doug Van Kuren set out to restore discipline and pride to the Martians? hockey program in his first year as coach, and the team responded accordingly, putting together a solid 16-8-2 season and advancing to the regional semifinals before losing to Brandon. Although the Martians will lose nine players from this year’s team to graduation, Van Kuren has built the foundation for a resurgent program.
‘The dean of Genesee Area Conference Red Division basketball coaches, Goodrich’s Gary Barns, led the young Martians to a strong campaign, as Goodrich compiled a 14-8 record and won the GAC Red Division championship. The Martians? confidence increased as the season progressed, and junior Michael Skinner stepped up as the Martians? go-to guy down the stretch, earning unanimous first-team All-GAC Red honors. The future looks bright for the Goodrich program, as juniors Skinner, Kirk Elsworth and Craig Van Wagoner will comprise an experienced and steady core for next year’s team. In addition, Clio transfer Keith Brotherton, currently a junior, will give the Martians some new blood.
Congratulations are also in order to all athletes and coaches who competed in winter sports this season. It was a pleasure to watch you guys perform.