Source Sports Chatter

Tigers clinch

2011-09-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Tigers clinched the American League Central Division title on Friday night, defeating the Oakland A's 3-1 in Oakland.
This marks the first time the Tigers have won a division crown since winning the American League East title in 1987. That's 24 years.
On the night the Tigers clinch the division, wouldn't you know it wasn't Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez or Justin Verlander leading the way. Instead it was Ramon Santiago, Wilson Betemit, Don Kelly and Doug Fister leading the charge.
Like most division-winning teams it takes someone different stepping up each and every night to lead a team through the journey.
What put the Tigers over the top? It's simple. It was the trades for Fister, Betemit and Delmon Young. Those three guys, along with the emergence of all-star catcher Alex Avila that helped propel the Tigers to the division crown.
Now, the Tigers can look ahead to the playoffs and hopefully, a World Series. Wouldn't that be something special.
What are your thoughts on this year's Central Division champion Detroit Tigers. I'd love to hear from you.
GO TIGERS!!!

Talking Tigers

2011-08-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Three days after the trade deadline has passed, do you feel better about your Detroit Tigers than you did a week ago?
The Tigers made a few moves a the deadline, acquiring pitchers Doug Fister and David Pauley from Seattle, before putting recently acquired David Purcey on waivers in hopes of sending him down to Toledo.
Was this enough?
I guess only time will tell. Personally, I like the moves for both Fister and Pauley, as long as each pitches like they did for Seattle. Fister, who was 3-12 on the year, had the worst run support than any other starting pitcher in the American League this season with the Mariners. I just fear that they Tigers get him a five-run lead and he relaxes on the mound and starts getting bombed. I hope he tougher than than mentally.
Pauley gives us another quality arm in the bullpen, which you can never have too many of. I think it puts more pressure on Benoit to perform like he did last year with Tampa Bay, or risk losing his set-up role for closer Jose Valverde.
What about the offense? How come there were no trades made for another quality bat in the lineup?
This really scares me.
The Tigers for what seems like forever, have been a streaky team offensively for years. They will go in five- or seven-game stretches where they'll average over five runs a game, but will then turn around and struggle offensively for the next six or seven games.
The did pick up third baseman Wilson Betemit in a trade with Kansas City. Compared to Brandon Inge, he looks like the second coming of Ted Williams, hitting just over .250 this season while Inge struggled to hit near the .200 level. However, is he really a major upgrade at one of the key offensive positions -- third base -- in the major leagues. I don't see him driving in 90 runs any time soon.
The Tigers have put us in this position before where we're all excited because we're leading the American League Central in several games in early August, before a September slump leaves all of us irritated and scratching our head.
Hopefully that won't be the case this season. Hopefully they'll continue winning baseball games, win the division and make a run at a world championship.
However, I personally am going to proceed with caution and hope the moves the Tigers made are enough to carry them to the division title.

Welcome back NFL

2011-07-29T07:25:00.001-07:00

Did anyone actually believe the NFL would consider holding out and risk losing the entire 2011 season?
I said right from the start that the two sides would shuffle their feet for the first two or three months, but when training camps were supposed to open, they would make a push to get the deal done because there was too much money involved that risked being lost.
That's exactly what happened.
Personally, I like watching pro football, but would much rather watch a high school game or a college game, especially Michigan State. However, when Sunday's come around in the fall and the only thing on television are NFL games, I have to tune in, especially to keep track of my fantasy football league players.
The end of the lockout has resulted in a very exciting week as teams were scrambling around like Fran Tarkenton trying to negotiate contracts with draft choices and working out deals with free agents.
The Lions had their own Christmas wish list, looking for a couple of cornerbacks and linebackers, among other positions.
Detroit made a couple of signings, but didn't have the cap space to become major players with the top free agents. Still optimism is running high as training camp opened on Friday and they hope to ride the positive momentum of their four-game winning streak to end last year into this season.
What are your thoughts on the end of the lockout? And, what do you think of the Lions' free agent moves? Do you think they have made enough moves to make them contenders to win the NFC North?
I'd love to hear from you.

What a summer

2011-07-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggers.
What a summer it has been, especially the scorching temperatures we've endured this week. I guess we shouldn't complain after the cold and wet spring we had here in Michigan.
Do you have a bucket list? You know, one of those lists which involves things you want to do and places you want to see before you die.
I have one and it involves checking out all the Major League baseball stadiums. So far our family has hit the ball parks in Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit, and a few weeks ago we checked off St. Louis and Cincinnati (My son has been to Tampa, but I haven't so it's still on the list).
Cincinnati had a very nice ball park, but it was far from my favorite. Its location on the Ohio River is very cool and concourse area with lots of history of former players on the walls is very cool. However, it wasn't very cozy. Our seats were in the upper deck along third base and I knew we were pretty high up when it took three escalators and a handshake with God to get to my seat. The upper deck steps were very steep and it seemed like we were so far away from the action on the field.
Conversely, our trip to New Busch Stadium in St. Louis was worth the trip.
I loved that place. It ranks right up there with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. The history of the statues outside the ball park where anyone can get a picture of without a ticket is terrific. The Gateway Arch is clearly visible from anywhere in the ball park and they even have a design of the arch cut into the outfield grass.
The concourse area around the stadium was very good, with Comerica Park-type walkways that were very wide.
Unlike Comerica Park, St. Louis brought in a key piece of old Busch Stadium, hanging the out-of-town scoreboard in the concourse. The also left it as the way it looked when the final out was made in the Cardinals last game at the stadium. This was a pretty cool feature.
We're already talking about next year's tour, with preliminary talks taking us to New York for the Yankees and Mets, possibly Boston, Baltimore and Washington, and maybe a stop in Toronto.
Have you hit any of these baseball shrines. If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

Kevin

A day to remeber

2011-07-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings bloggers. It's been a while, but I'm back and ready to blog.
Just wanted to share with all of you the opportunity I had on Wednesday afternoon.
I went out and covered the Sterling Heights Chamber of Commerce & Industry luncheon at the American-Polish Century Club.
The reason for the luncheon was to honor two former area high school football players, Nick McDonald, who graduated from Ford II, and Frank Zombo, who graduated from Stevenson. Both are currently members of the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.
I know the Detroit Red Wings have won four Stanley Cups over the last 15 years, and each time they did, there were many parties where the Cup was at for people to take a photo with or drink from it.
Unfortunately, I was never able to have that experience, but would love to do so if the opportunity should present itself someday.
However, on Wednesday, McDonald and Zombo were both wearing their Super Bowl rings and were showing them off to the people attending the luncheon.
I wasn't letting this opportunity get past me.
I asked both players if they would allow me to have a photo taken with them and allow me to put their rings on my hand. They politely agreed and the photo was taken. It's a photo that will forever rest on the wall of my basement (my man cave).
As a reporter for this paper the last 17 years, I've watched hundreds, maybe over a 1000 young athletes come and go, but only a few have reached "The Show."
I remember both Nick and Frank playing at their respective high schools and to see them reap the rewards of their hard work in the NFL is awesome. They're both very good players, but more importantly, they're better human beings.
Nick and Frank, if you read this, thanks for taking the time to make this reporter's dream come true. It's a day that I will always reflect upon when I look at that photo on the wall.
Have any of you had this type of moment? If you have, I'd love to hear about it.

Until next time.

Kevin

Zumaya injury

2010-06-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

Bloggers -- When Joel Zumaya's elbow gave out in the eighth inning of Monday night's game at Minnesota, I have to admit it was one of the sickest things I've ever seen in a game. It ranks right up there with Joe Theisman's compound fracture on Monday Night Football many years ago.
Ironically, as Zumaya pitched in the seventh inning, I thought to myself how good Zumaya has been pitching this season and how key he is for the Tigers quest for a division title. Ten minutes later the injury takes place and all that hope looks like is all gone for this season.
What Zumaya can do with a baseball is utterly freakish. How many people do you know can throw a fastball 100 mph pitch after pitch after pitch. Eventually something had to give and on Monday night it did -- his elbow.
Will he back? Probably. It won't be soon, though. If he has Tommy John surgery where they can take a ligament or tendon from another part of the body and put it in his elbow, he won't be back until at least 2012.
If he does comeback, the days of 100-plus fastballs may be gone. He has to realize he can be just as effective with a 92-95 mph heater, which would take some pressure off that elbow and his shoulder.
So what do the Tigers do in the meantime. After all, their win on Monday night put the in first place in the American League Central.
In the short term, they've brought up Casey Fien from Toledo. It's his job to lose right now. Is he Zumaya? No. Can he do the job? Maybe. We'll see. However, if he can't get the job done, the Tigers better hope Ryan Perry can straighten out his control problems in a hurry down in Toledo and can get back up to the big club to fill the eighth-inning gap left by Zumaya.
If you remember, the Tigers blew a lot of leads in the seventh and eighth innings last year and it ultimately cost them the division title.
This year, they went out and got themselves a proven closer in Jose Valverde, who has been sensational through the first three months of the season. However, a lot of his chances to save games came off the shirt tails of work done by relievers like Phil Coke and Zumaya in the seventh and eighth innings. That's why it's important for Fien, Coke, Perry, Ni or anyone else in the bullpen to step up and fill the shoes left by Zumaya.
Another idea would be for the Tigers to go out and trade for a reliever. However, to get one would mean parting with a key prospect or two, which is never good, especially for a set-up guy. They may need to test the trade waters for a hitter or a starting pitcher before the deadline comes next month. If that's the case, I would rather see them trade a prospect or two for an every day hitter or a starting pitcher like Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt. That would be appealing to me rather than a set-up guy.
What do you think about the Zumaya situation? What would you do if you were the Tigers? Send me a note and we can discuss this further.

Izzo and stuff

2010-06-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there bloggers.

It's been a long 24 hours as much has happened. Stevenson's girls softball team lost to Troy 5-0 in the quarterfinals at Bishop Foley on Tuesday afternoon, while L'Anse Creuse North defeated Rochester Adams 4-2 in a baseball quarterfinal game. The Crusaders will head to Battle Creek on Friday to play in a state semifinal contest.
As for the Titans, their loss to the Colts put a damper on what turned out to be a great run through the state tournament.
After finishing fourth in the MAC Red Division standings, it's a good bet there weren't too many people who would've gone out on a limb and said the Titans would win a district and regional title. However, that's what Stevenson went out and did.
This team cruised through the district, before knocking of their nemesis, Anchor Bay, 4-3 in the regional semifinal. The Titans followed that effort by jumping out to a 7-0 lead over Lakeview in the finals, before holding on for a 7-6 win and first regional softball title in school history.
The good thing for Stevenson and coach Tony Misuraca is that many of the key players on this team will be back next year. The Titans rode the right arm of freshman pitcher Alyssa Huntley, giving her solid defense throughout the season, but especially in the tournament. The experience she gained in a pressure-packed contest like the quarterfinal game against Troy, will only make her and the rest of the Titans work harder in the off-season with hopes of taking the next step next year, getting to the final four in Battle Creek.

Tuesday was also a memorable or in some case, breathing a sigh of relief day for MSU fans as men's basketball coach Tom Izzo announced he will not leave Michigan State to take a job in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I can honestly say all along the recruiting process by Cleveland that Izzo wasn't going to go. I'm sure the reported offer of $6 million a year was tough to deny, but he's already making $3 million per season at MSU. I don't know about you, but I think I could get by on $3 million a year.
Plus, do any of you think that Izzo's sideline manner would have worked in the NBA. Izzo likes to rant and rave throughout the game. He likes to get into player's faces when something goes wrong. It works in college because he's dealing with youngsters who are 18-22 years old and don't have the money in their pocket that NBA players have.
In the NBA, each player is a millionaire. Many are multi-millionaires. If Izzo were to pull one of these rich men over and got in their face over a bad play, I'm afraid his words of wisdom would be on deaf ears.
Izzo's a great college coach and that's where he belongs. He's one of the best coaches in college baseketball and he knows how to get the most out of his players. Each year he gets the best recruits in the state and around the country drop everything and come to MSU.
What do you think of Izzo staying? If you're a Michigan fan, did you shed a few tears when the announcement was made because it might be a few more years now before the Wolverine basketball program can keep pace with the Spartans.
I'd love to read your thoughts.

Until next time, have a great day.

Happy Thursday bloggers

2010-05-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there bloggers, how is everyone doing?
It's a damp a dreary Thursday afternoon, but the Tigers are on the verge of taking three of four games from the Yankees. That would be as good as sunshine.
Since my last post, we've had to endure the unfortunate passing of Ernie Harwell.
Everyone who listened to the Tigers when Harwell was doing games had that sense that they knew him personally, even though they had never met him in person.
Luckily, I had a chance to meet Harwell back in 1994 when I worked at the Huron Daily Tribune in Bad Axe.
My sports editor and I attended a Michigan Associated Press Sports Writers Convention in Midland. After a round of golf with other Michigan sports writers, we gathered for dinner and a meeting at a hotel. Following the meeting, Harwell spoke to us about the sport he loved the most, baseball.
He talked for about 20 minutes and then hung around, talking individually to anyone who wanted to shake his hand and say, "Hi."
I had an opportunity to talk with Harwell for about 10 minutes and I must say he was the nicest man I've ever talked with. He was truly genuine. How everyone saw him in any news interview he ever conducted, that's how he was with everyone there.
I will cherish the memory of that day with Ernie and God bless his soul in heaven.
Did you ever meet Ernie Harwell? If you did, I'd love to hear you story.

Happy Friday

2010-04-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hello there bloggers. I hope everyone is enjoying this sunny Friday and is set for a good weekend.
I don't know about you, but I love the NFL Draft.
I love to rip the Lions every year for their bone-headed first-round pick and immediately turn on them and become an instant fan of the team that selected the guy I wanted the Lions to take.
However, I must admit that I was truly a Lions fan last night when they drafted Suh.
Not only did they not shy away from the popular pick, but they filled a need they haven't had here in many years.
Suh, in my opinion, is the run-stopping plug that has been missing from Detroit's defensive line for many years. The last quality defensive tackle the Lions had was Jerry Ball, and I think those were the last days the Lions actually made the playoffs.
Suh is a stud and I can't wait to see him on the field, wearing the Honolulu Blue with the #90 on his chest. It should be the beginning of hopefully many great memories for us die hard Lions fans.
However, I'm not as excited about the Lions second first-round pick, trading up from the second round to get Jahvid Best, a running back out of California.
Best is a good running back and he should help the Lions. However, I also believe that he's very injury prone and might be more of a casualty when all is said and done. I hope I'm wrong.
I don't think he was worth the second-round pick the Lions gave Minnesota. In fact, I believe he still would've been on the board at No. 34 when the Lions would've picked in the second round. This pick, in my opinion, is a reach.
What did you think about the Lions two first-round picks? Who do you think they'll take in the third round tonight?
I'm thinking they're going to look at the best athlete available at offensive tackle or safety. Agree?
I'd love to find out your thoughts.
Have a good weekend.

Early softball, baseball thoughts

2010-04-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggers.
Area high school softball and baseball seasons kicked into full gear this week and there have been a couple of surprises out of the gate.
In baseball, Eisenhower, which graduated many of its top players a year ago, seems to have filled the voids with solid young players.
I saw the Eagles against Lutheran North and Ford II, and in both games Eisenhower has played solid defense, good pitching and timely hitting, including three home runs against the Falcons.
Many may have thought the Eagles would take a step back this season playing in the always tough MAC Red Division. However, if they can stay healthy and continue playing solid defense, this team should be one of the team's battling near the top for a division title.
Eisenhower's softball team has also opened some eyes early on, rallying from an 8-0 first-inning deficit against Bishop Foley to win 11-10 on Monday, before blanking Sterling Heights 2-0 on Wednesday.
Eagle coach Floyd Shotwell has the ability to use three solid pitchers, who are each different in their own way. This team also plays solid defense and the hitting, led by Danielle Craft and Tori Kabel, has been solid early on.
I'm not sure if Eisenhower had enough talent to win the MAC Red Division with state powers Stevenson, Dakota, Chippewa Valley and Anchor Bay all in the league, but the Eagles will surely not be a pushover like they may have been in year's past.
Are there any surprises or disappointing team's you've watched this season. If you have, I'd love to know.
Send me a blog.

What a week of baseball

2010-04-08T10:02:00.002-07:00

While many high school students enjoyed Spring Break vacations this week, many area baseball players were competing at the Macomb County Spring Break Tournament at Kyte Monroe Park.
The weather cooperated for the most part and there were some very good games played.
This tournament is a perfect opportunity for coaches to find out where their team is at so early into the season. Each area team played at least five games this week and Stevenson made it through pool play (four games) with only one loss. Utica and Ford II were both 1-1 heading into Thursday's action, while Sterling Heights was 0-4 in its four games.
The tournament carries on Friday and Saturday. Check it out if you get some free time.

Also, two games into the season and the Tigers are already scaring me. Is it only me or do you think that Jose Valverde is just like Todd Jones and Fernando Rodney as a closer? Do you already hold your breath when he takes the hill to save a game? I hope he settles into his new surroundings quickly and takes that nervous edge off us fans when he enters a game.
Other than that, I've been satisfied with the Tigers effort through two games. The offense is inconsistent, but we all knew that coming in. But, good outings by starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer is a good early sign for the team.

The NFL Draft is just a couple weeks away and who do you think the Lions should select in the first round.
Personally, I would go with Suh, the big defensive tackle from Texas. He's the best player on the board and when you have the second pick of the draft, you get the best player available. If Suh goes No. 1 to St. Louis, I hope the Lions will draft Gerald McCoy, the defensive tackle from Oklahoma. He would be a nice consolation prize. He, like Suh, is a big, gifted athlete that will make the team instantly better.
Who do you think the Lions should draft? I'd love to talk with you about it. Send me a note.

Spring Break Tournament begins Monday

2010-04-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Next week is the annual Macomb County Spring Break Baseball Tournament. The week-long tournament will take place mostly at Kyte Monroe Park in St. Clair Shores, with some games being played at L'Anse Creuse High School.
If you've never been out to watch this tournament, it's a good one. This tourney gathers many of the top high school teams from Macomb County, along with a few from Oakland County and Wayne County.
This tournament gives coaches the ability to see which areas their team is solid at and which areas need some work before league play begins after the break. It's also a good time to analyze players and allow them to work the kinks out.
Games begin at 10:30 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday and run through the entire day, with the final games slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. under the lights.
Tuesday and Thursday games begin at 9 a.m. and run all the way until the final start time of 8:15 p.m.
Friday is a make-up day for any rain-outs that may occur during the week, while Saturday features quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games.

If you have some time, try to get out and catch some of the action.

Thursday thoughts

2010-04-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggers. Hope everyone is enjoying the great weather today.
Things are slowing down on the local high school sports scene as Easter and Spring Break draws near. The only activity going on locally next week is the Spring Break Baseball Tournament at Kyte Monroe in St. Clair Shores.
The tournament features high school baseball teams from around the area. Area teams participating include Ford II, Sterling Heights, Stevenson and Utica. The tournament begins on Monday morning and to find out when your favorite team is playing, check out The Source this Sunday or our website, www.sourcenewspapers.com for the schedule.
Another big event happening this weekend is the Final Four in Indianapolis. Of course, as you already know, Michigan State is there and will face a very good Butler team on Saturday night.
How about those Spartans? Are you as surprised as I am that they made it to the Final Four?
The more I think about it, it shouldn't be that big of a shocker because of one person, Tom Izzo.
Izzo, like he has every year, has his team ready at tournament time. He's a motivator, leader and has the ability to somehow get his players to play at their best.
Let me know what you're thoughts on this MSU run. Do you think they can beat Butler? Or better yet, can MSU win the National Championship? Send me your thoughts.
Finally, Monday isn't just the championship game for the NCAA Tournament, it's also Opening Day for our Detroit Tigers.
Detroit opens the season on the road at Kansas City on Monday afternoon, before opening the home portion of its season on Friday against Cleveland.
I might be in the minority, but I truly think the Tigers can win the American League Central Division. I believe their starting pitching is as good as anyone else in the division and with the addition of Johnny Damon, the offense should be respectable, but not outstanding. Still, it should be good enough to get the job done.
The one area of concern is staying healthy. If the Tigers suffer a ton of injuries, they're in big trouble. I just don't think they have the depth that teams like Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox have.
Where do you think the Tigers will finish this season? Let me know. I'd love to chat about it.

Have a Happy Easter everyone.

Happy Thursday

2010-03-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggers.
Outside of Thanksgiving Day, today is one of most popular Thursday's in the entire year as the NCAA Basketball Tournament has started. Do you have brackets finished.
Already, as expected, upsets have taken place as Murray State knocked off Vanderbilt, while Old Dominion has beaten Notre Dame. I'm sure as the night goes on there will be more upsets to talk about. If not, I'm sure some of the higher seeds will find themselves in nail-biters late in the second half.
Last night marked the end of the boys basketball season for The Source as Eisenhower was defeated by De La Salle 49-33 in a regional final contest at Dakota High School.
This game was closer than the final score indicates as Eisenhower struggled to a 15-14 lead at halftime, before falling behind the Pilots 27-19 with two minutes left in the third quarter. The Eagles closed the gap to 27-23 heading into the final quarter, before closing to within a point at 31-30 iwth 5:43 to play.
However, DLS put the game away with a three-point play, followed by two straight three-pointers, coasting the rest of the way.
Eisenhower hurt itself in two areas against the Pilots, committing 25 turnovers and making good on 8-of-13 free throws, while DLS was 11-of-14 from the line. The Pilots did an outstanding job defensively on Eagle center Corey Petros, limiting him to nine points. However, Petros did have 12 rebounds in the game.
The loss ended Eisenhower's season at 18-7 overall. It was a good season, especially after starting the year with three straight losses.
Did you go to the game? If you did, let me know what you thought of the contest and the Eagles' season overall.
Now, it's time to get back to the NCAA Tournament. If you want to compare brackets or talk about specific games, send me your thoughts.

Boys district basketball tournament

2010-03-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

What a great night for boys basketball as district tournaments came to an end with championship games on Friday night.
I was at the Chippewa Valley district where Eisenhower, after leading Stevenson by 16 points at halftime, needed overtime to defeat the Titans 53-36.
The first half was all Eagles, who rolled to 15-7 lead after one quarter, before extending that edge to 27-11 at halftime.
Stevenson rallied in the second half, closing its deficit to 39-28 after three quarters, before outscoring the Eagles 14-3 in the fourth period, sending the game into OT.
In the OT, Eisenhower's Corey Petros, who led the Eagles with 19 points and 10 rebounds, scored five points in the extra period, while Tony Zerafa added four free throws, helping his squad cap the victory.
Despite the loss, the Titans played like a champion, rallying from the huge halftime deficit. Stevenson had a chance to win the game in regulation, but missed a three-point shot with nine seconds to play.
Stevenson coach Bill Lerch and the Titan players should be proud of what they accomplished late in the season and in the district. They knocked off MAC Red champion L'Anse Creuse North in the regular-season finale, beat a good Utica squad in the district semifinals and took the MAC Red runner-up to overtime in the finals. Great job Titans.
As for Eisenhower, the win put a year full of frustration to rest. The Eagles were the favorite to win last year's district at Ford II, but lost to the Falcons in the district opener. The players from that team remembered the feeling they had afterward and vowed not to let it happen again this season.
The Eagles move on to Monday night's regional semifinal at Dakota, facing East Detroit, which enters the game with a 20-3 record. It starts at 5 p.m. and should be a good one. The other half of the regional features host Dakota facing De La Salle at 7 p.m. on Monday night. That should be another dandy.
If you were at Friday night's game and want to talk about it, I'd love to hear from you. If not, we'll see everyone on Monday night at Dakota.

Friday night hoops

2010-02-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

What a night for area basketball teams.
I was at Eisenhower's thrilling 46-45 win over Romeo.
The Eagles won the game on a free throw by Lucas Thomas with .5 left in the game. This was a defensive battle throughout as open shots were hard to find.
Eisenhower held a seven-point lead with just over a minute to play, before several turnovers allowed Romeo to tied the game on a layup with 11 seconds to play.
Eisenhower was led by Joe Wirth with 12 points, while Corey Petros added 11 points, 21 rebounds and seven assists. Not bad for a 6-9 center.
In other games, Utica lost to host Grosse Pointe South 51-48 in overtime, while Parkway Christian defeated Detroit Westside Christian 43-39 behind 10 points and 17 boards by Josh Schick, whose had a monster year for the Eagles.
In girls hoops on Friday night, Utica defeated L'Anse Creuse 50-39 in a MAC crossover tilt, while Parkway Christian stormed past Bethany Christian 67-22.
If you went to a game on Friday night, I'd love to hear about it. Or, if you're interested in giving some thoughts on this week's girls basketball districts, I'd love to hear who you think is the team to beat.
In the Chippewa Valley district, I think the host Big Reds are the team to beat. One team I think has a good shot at knocking the Big Reds off is Utica, and those two teams face each other in Monday night's district opener at 5:30 p.m. That should be a good one.
Another team to watch out for is Ford II. The Falcons are my sleeper because they play solid defense and as we all know, defense wins championships.
Do you agree? Let me know who you think will hoist the trophy next Friday night.
Have a good weekend and I hope to hear from you soon.

Friday night hoops report

2010-02-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

Hello bloggers.
The boys basketball season is in the home stretch and Friday night was filled with many close games for area teams.
I was at the Utica/GPN game. The Chieftains had the MAC White Division leaders on the ropes, before two free throws by the Norsemens' Bryan Brown with six seconds to play gave GPN a 53-51 win.
Utica is still showing its youth this season, making several pivotal mistakes down the stretch, which cost the Chieftains at the end.
Utica was paced by Connor Hinebaugh with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Source Associate Editor Don Chamberlain covered the Eisenhower/LCN game, which was won by the Crusaders 47-44. The two teams entered the night tied for first place in the MAC Red Division.
In other games, Stevenson fell to host Cousino 55-53 in a MAC White Division game, while FOrd II defeated visiting L'Anse Creuse 44-37 in a MAC Red contest. Sterling Heights rallied for a 19-8 fourth-quarter spurt to defeat visiting Lincoln 43-38 in a MAC Gold Division match-up. Finally, it was Parkway Christian breaking Inter-City Baptist's six-game winning streak with a 47-44 triumph.

In other sports news, we should know this weekend if Johnny Damon is going to become a member of the Detroit Tigers. If money is the determining factor, Damon will be a Tiger since they're offering the most money by all reports. Do you like this? Give me your thoughts.
Finally, has anyone been watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver this week. The Olympics always seem to spark my interest to the point where I stay up to the early morning hours watching the competitions. Let me know who you have been surprised with and if you're enjoying or are you disappointed at what's transpired there so far.

Hopefully we'll have some good stuff to chat about this week. Can't wait to hear from all of you and have a great weekend.

Finally, a super Super Bowl

2010-02-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings bloggers. I'm sure many of you are like me on this Monday morning, trying to recover from watching last night's Super Bowl.
What a game it was. New Orleans pulls a rabbit out of its hat with an onside kick to start the second half and with it, took the momentum away from the Colts, cruising to its first NFL championship.
How about Drew Brees? Can he finally get the respect of being the best current quarterback in the NFL? His heroics this season haven't gone unnoticed, especially with all the press the Saints have had by their success. However, Brees has put up almost identical numbers that he had this year for the last three or four seasons. I know, because he's the quarterback on my fantasy football keeper league team. The guy is awesome.
Something else that I thought about the last two weeks leading up to the big game was how far the Saints have come in such a short time span.
It wasn't that long ago when the Saints were known as the "Aints." They were the laughing stock of the NFL. People wore brown paper bags over their heads at games because they were embarrased to be associated with such a terrible franchise.
Sound familiar?
If you're from this area it should, because the Detroit Lions have replaced the Saints as the laughing stock of the NFL.
However, New Orleans has just proved that any professional team can turn it around if you have the right mix of players, coaches, ownership and fans who believe in their team.
Call me a Lions slappy, but I believe there will be a day when the Lions, like the Saints did this year, will walk out of the locker room and onto a field that has the NFL Logo painted at the 50-yard line, and an end zone painted Honolulu Blue with Silver lettering trimmed in Black that reads LIONS.
It's going to happen some day, I just hope when it does, the halftime show features an aging group like AC/DC, instead of an aging act like Carrie Underwood.
Give me your thoughts on this year's Super Bowl. And, do you agree that the Lions will someday play in this game.

Friday night basketball and coach Rick Bye

2010-01-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

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.

Stevenson falls in state title game

2009-11-28T17:21:00.001-08:00

Stevenson played in the state championship for the fourth time in school history on Saturday, facing Catholic Central at Ford Field in Detroit.
However, like their three previous tries in the title game, the Titans fell short, dropping a 31-21 decision to the Shamrocks.
The key in the game was Catholic Central's ground attack, which had pounded each of its opponents throughout the season, did the same to the Titans.
The Shamrocks ran for 365 yards on 63 carries. The dynamic duo of Anthony Capatina (189 yards, 2 scores) and 6-2, 245-pound Niko Palazeti (146 yards, 2 scores) proved to be too much for Stevenson's defense to handle.
Stevenson played well in spurts as quarterback Jason Fracassa finished the game by completing 15-of-34 passes for 293 yards and two scores, including a 75-yard strike to wide receiver D.J. Mershman in the third quarter. Mershman finished the game with six receptions for 162 yards.
The loss ended Stevenson's season at 13-1 overall. It was a sensational season for the Titans, especially throughout the playoffs as they played without running backs Justice Wright and Mike Kirksey after each went out with injuries after their first-round win over Roseville.
Wright and Kirksey each played some in the final game, but were very limited. Wright, playing with a torn ACL, did catch a 3-yard TD pass from Fracassa in the fourth quarter.
With its two running backs sidelined, Stevenson was forced to go to the air on practically every play in their playoff wins against Warren Mott, Detroit Southeastern and Clarkston. However, Fracassa and the rest of the offense met the challenge, as did the defense, allowing Stevenson to play for the state championship.
Were you at the game? If you were, I'd love to get your thoughts on what transpired and talk about what this year's Stevenson football team accomplished.
Let's blog.

Exciting Friday night of sports

2009-11-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

Hello bloggers!!!
Friday night is sure to be an exciting night of sports around the area.
It the second week of the football playoffs and three area teams are still alive as Stevenson plays host to Warren Mott, Eisenhower travels to Dakota, and Romeo goes on the road to face Clarkston.
All three of these match-ups are rematches as the Titans defeated the Marauders 49-21 in Week 9 of the regular season. Eisenhower beat Dakota in Week 8 of the regular season 24-8, while Romeo ended Clarkston's season a year ago in the playoffs.
All three games should be worth seeing. I will be at the Eisenhower-Dakota game, while Source associate editor Don Chamberlain will be covering the battle between Stevenson and Warren Mott.

Football isn't the only sport taking the stage on Friday night as three area teams will be looking for district hardware in the state volleyball tournament.
At Sterling Heights, the host Stallions will face Eisenhower in the championship game slated to begin at 6 p.m. During the MAC Blue Division season, the Stallions defeated the Eagles in both meetings. However, both matches went five games. I'm going out on a limb and will predict another five-game marathon match in the final.
Also, Parkway Christian will look to win its first-ever district volleyball title when it faces Macomb Christian in the championship game at Marine City Cardinal Mooney on Friday night.

Good luck to our area teams and if you're at one of these games, give me your thoughts on what happened.

Enjoy the games.

This Week

2009-10-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers.
There are many division championships up for grabs this week. Tonight, I will be at the Eisenhower-GPN soccer game. An Eagle win or tie and they're MAC Red Division champions. A loss and they share the league crown with Stevenson.

On Tuesday night, Stevenson and Sterling Heights hook up for a volleyball match that will have an impact on the MAC Blue Division standings. If Stevenson wins, the Titans will be up by two games on the Stallions. However, if the Stallions win, they will be tied for first with Stevenson. This should be a good match.

Also in volleyball, Ford II is tied with Romeo for first place in the MAC White Division. Those two teams meet at Ford on Oct. 22. That match could be for all the marbles. Mark it on your calendar.

On Friday night, Stevenson travels to Romeo to play the Bulldogs for the MAC Red Division crown. If the Titans beat the Bulldogs, they win the league title outright. If Romeo wins and Dakota defeats Eisenhower, there will be tri-champions as Stevenson, Romeo and Dakota will each have one loss.

Sterling Heights' soccer team has already claimed the MAC Blue Division title.

Just a quick update on what's going on this week. Let me know where you're heading and let's talk about it.

Thursday night recap

2009-09-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thursday night was volleyball night in the area. I went to the Sterling Heights vs. St. Clair match, which the Stallions won in four games.
It was a tough battle for the Stallions, who lost the first game 25-23 before winning the next three against a scrappy Saints team.
In other games, Eisenhower defeated Grosse Pointe South in four games, while Stevenson disposed of Utica in three games. Ford II defeated host Anchor Bay in four games. You can read a recap of each of these games on our website on Saturday morning.

Friday night I will be at arguable the biggest football game of the season as Stevenson plays host to Dakota. The game features two teams who are ranked in the top-5 in the state. It should be a dandy. If you're going to the game, I would suggest getting there early as a huge crowd is expected.

Hope to see you there.

Kevin

Thursday roundup and Friday preview

2009-09-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers.
Thursday night only featured two area teams playing volleyball and that was Utica playing at Ford II.
The Falcons rallied from a 23-20 deficit in Game 4, winning the game 25-20 on five straight service points by Emily McKay. That win gave Ford the match over Utica, 3-1.
It was a great comeback by Ford and the Falcons are headed in the right direction under second-year coach Jamie Baker. The win improved Ford's record to 9-2 overall.
First-year Utica coach Mark Ott was pleased with his team's effort and said they made positive strides on Thursday night, despite suffering the loss that dropped his team to 0-3 overall.

On Friday night, I will be attending the Fraser/Romeo football game. This game will be played to raise money to fight cancer. Romeo will wear pink jerseys with each player donning a name of someone they know who has either died, has had or is battling cancer. Fraser will wear white jerseys with pink numbers and the back of their jerseys will honor someone they know who has battled cancer. Each player had to raise a certain amount of money for the jersey, and after the game it will be given to the person or family member on the field for whom they were playing in honor of. It should be a very emotional evening.

If you're going to a game on Friday night, let me know where you're heading and what your thoughts are in regards to the game.

Talk to you later.

Friday night football recap

2009-09-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe the football season is 33 percent of the way done after Friday night's aciton.
I was at the Romeo vs. Dakota game tonight where the host Cougars rallied from a 10-0 first-quarter deficit to defeat the Bulldogs 33-17.
Romeo only trailed 19-17 at halftime, but this game was won in the trenches where the bigger and more physical Cougar team just wore the Bulldogs down.
Dakota looks like its worthy of its top-10 ranking in the state. The Cougars are a very physical team up front with a ton of speed at the skill positions and on defense.
Romeo battled, though, but only managed to get the ball to its horse, running back Ben Brown 14 times for 86 yards. Dakota, though, did a good job limiting him to short runs in the second half.

In other games tonight, Source associate editor Don Chamberlain covered Sterling Heights 21-14 loss to Grosse Pointe South.
That game was scoreless through the first three quarters. The Stallions led 14-0, but couldn't hold on. A Blue Devil interception with just over a minute to play led to a touchdown pass with 18 seconds left, giving GPS the thrilling victory.

You can read both of these stories along with Thursday night's five-game volleyball match between Eisenhower and Stevenson on our website at www.sourcenewspapers.com

In other games on Friday night, Stevenson trounced Ford II 51-7 in the battle of Runkel Field, while Chippewa Valley rallied from a 13-0 deficit to defeat Eisenhower 14-13. Utica rallied from a 28-6 third-quarter deficit, but fell short in a 35-30 loss to Grosse Pointe North, while Parkway Christian scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat visiting Lutheran Westland 23-12 at Fraser High School.

What game were you at tonight? Let me know who you saw and your thoughts on the game. Let's blog.

Have a good weekend.

Sports talk

2009-09-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hey there bloggers.
It's been a slow start to the local sports week due to the Labor Day holiday. However, things getting rolling in high gear starting on Wednesday night. I will be at the Stevenson vs. Ford II soccer game at Stevenson. This game will be for the Pantaleo Cup, which was started last year in memory of David Pantaleo, a former Titan soccer player who passed away in 2008.

However, let's jump to our beloved Motor City Cats (no, not the Lions), the Detroit Tigers. They lost to Kansas City tonight 7-5, but their magic number to win the Central Division fell by a game as Minnesota lost to Toronto 6-3. I think the magic number is down to 19 now and I don't see anyone stopping the Tigers from winning the division.

I believe the success of this team is based around its starting pitching, especially the young arms of Verlander, Jackson and Porcello. These guys just throw strikes and get people out. It shouldn't come as a surprise because Rick Knapp is their pitching coach. Prior to coming to Detroit, he was with the Minnesota Twins in their farm system, training their young pitchers. If you remember, prior to this year, the Twins success on the mound was due to a lack of walks. See the similarities to this year's Tiger team. Walks will kill a baseball team, as it did to the Tigers last year.

Also, the Tigers have improved their defense a ton this year. Many disliked the moves the Tigers made in the off-season, bringing in Adam Everett and Gerald Laird. Offensively, these two players don't offer much, except a key hit here and there. However, defensively, both are beyond solid. Everett fields everything within his reach and Laird leads the American League in throwing out base-runners. Those little things don't show up in the box scores, but they sure do in the win column.

What do you think about this year's Tiger team? Do you think they'll hold on and win the division? Do you think they'll have enough to make it to the World Series? Let me know your thoughts.

I'll check back tomorrow and have a good night.

Friday night football

2009-08-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

What a night of high school football.
Friday night we battled heavy rain covering our games, but it didn't seem to hurt the Romeo Bulldogs, who blanked visiting Warren Mott 23-0.
The story of the game was Romeo's defense, which smoothered a very athletic Marauder team.
Romeo jumped out to a 23-0 halftime lead and coasted.
In other games on Friday night, Ford II defeated LCN 21-12. Eisenhower trounced GPN 33-6 and Parkway Christian fell to Deckerville 41-14.

Thursday night football

2009-08-27T21:02:00.001-07:00

The prep football season kicked off on Thursday night. I was at the Utica vs. Chippewa Valley game, which was won by the Big Reds 31-0.
Utica had trouble all night getting its offense going, except for a 16-play drive in the first half that ended when the Chieftains failed to convert on fourth down.
However, hats off to the Big Reds, playing their first game under new head coach Todd Marchant. They did an excellent job applying pressure on Chieftain quarterback Connor Hinebaugh and their QB, Joe Smith, did an excellent running the offense.
The big question mark for the Big Reds, I believe, is how well they'll match up with Stevenson, Eisenhower, Romeo and Dakota in the MAC Red Division. If they can pull off a win or two in those games, a spot in the playoffs could be a real possibility.
As for Utica, they need to block better for Hinebaugh, who had little to no time to look for a receiver downfield. Thankfully, the Chieftains are in the MAC White Division, which should prove to be less difficult than playing against the powerhouses from the MAC Red.
In other games involving area teams on Thursday night, Stevenson steamrolled Cousino 42-6, and Sterling Heights lost a close one at Marine City, 42-36.
What games were you at. Let me know and what was your impression of the teams you watched.
On Thursday night, I'll be covering the MAC crossover showdown between Warren Mott and Romeo, while Source Associate Editor Don Chamberlain will be at the Ford II vs. L'Anse Creuse North battle at Stevenson's Runkle Field.

Take care and have a good night.

Prep soccer season begins

2009-08-25T08:36:00.001-07:00

Hey there fellow bloggers.

Monday night saw area soccer teams opening their respective seasons.
Scores from Monday are as follows:

Eisenhower 2, Romeo 0
Stevenson 1, Warren Mott 0
Sterling Heights 5, Lake Shore 2
Ford II 8, Roseville 2

Welcome to Source Sports Chatter

2009-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Source Sports Chatter.
Inside this sports blog, we'll be able to talk about anything sports. We can chatter about high school, college and even professional sports -- locally and even national sports issues. I hope this helps serve the readers in a more personal way.
To keep you informed, I will also try to put area scores each night during the high school season.

Stay tuned!
Kevin