Friday night basketball and coach Rick Bye

Hello bloggers. I hope everyone is doing well.
We're wrapping up another Friday night of high school basketball.
Tonight, Source Associate Editor Don Chamberlain covered Utica's win over Ford II in girls basketball, while I covered Ford's win over the Chieftains in boys basketball.
It's hard to believe the basketball seasons are past the halfway point. Soon we'll be talking about the state tournaments.
A couple area teams to watch out for as the regular season wraps up are the Eisenhower boys basketball team and Stevenson's girls basketball team.
The Eagles are undefeated in the MAC Red Division's halfway point. Eisenhower is led by 6-9 center Corey Petros, who has committed to play at Oakland University next season, and 6-5 forward Joe Wirth, who has verbally committed to play football at Central Michigan next fall. These two strong towers inside are posing problems for all opponents. If they stay healthy and out of foul trouble, the Eagles are a team that will have to be reckoned with in the state tournament.
As for the Stevenson girls basketball team, the Titans started slow under new coach Troy Marks but have shown signs of becoming a solid team in recent weeks. In fact, last week's seven-point loss to Grosse Pointe North, one of the top teams in the state, shows how well Stevenson is progressing.
The Titans don't have any so-called stars on the team, but have many weapons who can catch fire on any given night. Watch out for players like Stephanie D'Ascenzo, Katie Reading, Beverly Krall, Lauren Hopfner and Sarah Prybys. A strong second half of the season could propel the Titans into being a force in the state tournament.

Finally, it was announced on Friday that Stevenson varsity football coach Rick Bye has stepped down after 31 seasons at the school.
I have mixed feelings on this because to me, Bye and Eisenhower head coach Bob Lantzy are the Joe Paterno of Macomb County football. You can't talk about the history of prep football in this county without talking about Bye or Lantzy.
On the other hand, I totally understand that all good things must come to an end. His legacy will live forever at Stevenson. To me, Bye was more than just another coach I had to interview after a game. He was and always will be a friend. I wish him the best in his retirement and will cherish the memories Bye and the Titan teams he coached gave me as a sports writer.

Let me know your thoughts on the basketball seasons or give me some of your best memories of coach Bye.

Have a great weekend.

Friday night overview

Another Friday night of girls basketball is in the books and all I can say is that the Utica girls basketball team is a squad that must be reckoned with.
The Chieftains trailed by six at Dakota after one quarter and by a basket after the third quarter, before going on an 18-5 run in the fourth to defeat the Cougars 56-45 on Friday night.
Utica is led by junior guards Eryn Maday and Sarah Miller. Maday poured in 22 points, while Katrina Suchoski added 15.
The Chieftains are coming on strong after a slow start. They're also playing with great confidence. It's been a few years since coach Tom McDonald has had a team capable of winning a division title, but this year's team has a great chance at winning the tough MAC White Division.

In other games involving area teams on Friday night, Stevenson defeated Eisenhower in a MAC Red Division girls cage game, while Sterling Heights defeated Madison in a MAC Silver contest.

We're you at any games on Friday night. If you were, let's talk about it.

Have a good weekend!!!

What's up?

Hello fellow bloggers.
As many of you know, the high school winter sports season is in full swing as girls and boys basketball, wrestling, boys swimming, bowling and competitive cheer are currently in the middle of their respective seasons.

In girls basketball, it looks as if Utica is for real, winning their first two MAC White Division games, defeating Romeo and St. Clair. Led by the guard duo of Eryn Maday and Sarah Miller, the Chieftains are a tough matchup for any opponent. I would suggest if you like girls basketball, check out Utica and give me your thoughts.

In boys hoops, Eisenhower, after a slow start where it opened its season with three straight losses, has seemed to turn it around, winning three staight and looking like one of the team to watch out for in the MAC Red Division title chase. The Eagles are led by seniors Corey Petros, who has committed to play at Oakland University next year, and Joe Wirth, who will head to Central Michigan on a football scholarship. I believe if the Eagles continue to improve at the guard position and can stay healthy, they'll be a very good basketball team when March Madness arrives.

With division play in full swing, now is the time to get out and see your favorite teams play. I'd love to know what your opinion is on those teams and would love to talk with you about it on this blog.

Also, we can expand outside the high school scene. If you would like to talk about college or professional sports, either on the local level or nationally, let me know your thoughts and maybe together we can get a better understanding of what's really going on with some of these teams.

Tonight I will be at the Sterling Heights vs. St. Clair boys basketball game. On Friday night, I will be at the Utica at Dakota girls cage game.

Look forward to hearing from all of you. Let's blog.