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FRANKFORT BOYS BASKETBALL: Pictured are (front row, left to right) Blake Miller, Danny Lee, Dakota Borton, Daniel Newbold, Xander Stockdale, Edvard Bilk, Adam Mills; (back row, left t o right) assistant coach David Loney, Ethan Evans, Conner Lamerson, Luke Hammon, Jack Stefanski, Paul Jarosch, Chase Smith and coach Dan Loney. (Photo/Robert Myers)
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Panthers looking to stay focused, hungry after state championship appearance By Robert Myers Staff Writer FRANKFORT — While last year’s team may have carried an underdog mentality all the way to the Breslin Center, this year’s Frankfort boys basketball team knows
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the pressure will be on them as they look to fend off everyone else’s best shot. The Panthers lose four of their top six players from last year’s state runner-up team, but with stars like Jack Stefanski and Luke Hammon
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returning, the hype is there for the 2019-20 basketball season, whether Frankfort’s players want it or not. “We’ve got a lot of pressure on our shoulders this year,” Hammon said. “We really have to step up, especially me and Jack. We have to show our leadership in practice and during the game so we help the younger players.” Hammon and Stefanski will not be alone in leading the Panthers. They are joined by a large returning cast, led by second year coach Dan Loney, who is not taking anything for granted. “It is a new season. Nothing is promised. You can’t really look at last year and
Record Patriot Winter Sports 2019 say, ‘You should be here this year.’ It doesn’t really work like that,” Loney said. "Even if you have a familiar roster, last year is completely different than this year. We’ve seen it in the past with teams here. My brother’s team in 2011, his junior year, went to the Breslin Center. They came back his senior year fully loaded to make another run and lost in quarterfinals.” Of course, this year’s Frankfort team will look to avoid a letdown, and they are seeking to do so by staying humble and sticking to the fundamentals. Hammon still remembers times last season when the Panthers blew leads late in games and wants to improve on that. Stefanski wants to match or even exceed the defensive dominance the Panthers showed last year during their tournament run. “Defense is what we pride our whole system on,”
Stefanski said. “The team we had last year, the young players saw how we played and they want to model themselves after that. People want to be the new Conner Smith – go play hard defense, get rebounds and do what Dan says. People are going to step up to that role, and that’s what we need.” Many of Frankfort’s players are still finding their roles, but at this point, the Panthers do seem to have the talent to return to the Breslin Center. Danny Lee and Xander Stockdale return as senior guards, who despite not playing extensively last year, are very familiar with the expectations for their positions. Junior Daniel Newbold is also playing well in practice and should take over his brother Will Newbold’s vacated scoring guard position. The Panthers will also be keenly watching a pair of
3 young sophomores in Adam Mills and Blake Miller, who are expected to push for significant playing time after dominant showings at the JV last year and Miller’s breakout late performance in the state championship game. Overall though, Frankfort knows the best approach is a patient one, an approach of taking nothing for granted, simply playing one game at a time and improving each game. “We are just going to take it one game at a time and not really put expectations out there publicly. As a group, we will make expectations and goals, just like we did last year, and hopefully we will meet those goals,” Loney said. “We want to be playing our best basketball in March and play deep into March, and to do that, you have to stay locked in and have a little luck on your side as well.”
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Best of Luck
BENZIE CENTRAL BOYS BASKETBALL: Pictured are (front row, left to right) manager Carson Case, Jared Streeter, Chris Dunlop, Seth Wilkinson, Seth Stoltz, Nate Childers, Dylan Bates, manager Rowan Zickert; (back row, left to right) coach Joshua Crocker, Tyler Kintigh, Jake Kennedy, Bennett Niswonger, Wesley VanPoortfliet, Ty Bigelow, Connor McLaren, Quinn Zickert and assistant coach Andy Rosa. (Photo/Robert Myers)
Benzie Central boys basketball eyes upward trajectory under new coach On a Great Winter Season
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By Robert Myers Staff Writer BENZONIA — A new era has begun for Benzie Central boys basketball. Benzine Central begins its season under new coach Joshua Crocker, who will be the team's third varsity head coach in as many years but looks to bring a new era of stability and success to a program that has only won one district title (2015) since 1997. So far, Crocker said it has a been a smooth transition for him. "Overall, it's been a relatively seamless transition.
Record Patriot Winter Sports 2019 The players, the parents, the school, the administrators, the community, everybody as been very welcoming and helpful. We've been able to do some fundraising and get some much-needed equipment," Crocker said. "(JV coach) Andy Rosa has been terrific. He has been very helpful. He knows all of the kids and has great relationships with them. He knows most of, if not all, of the parents and the people in the community as well. He has been an invaluable asset. Matt Chandler and Mike Whaley at the freshmen level have been essential as well." The Huskies graduated a large senior class after last year's 10-10 finish, but the buy in from this year's senior class has Crocker very excited about his team's potential. "I've been very happy with our performance out of our seniors. Bennett Niswonger, Tyler Kintigh, Ty Bigelow and Connor McLaren have thus far been exceptional with their work ethic and trying to be leaders," Crocker said. "We've got a core group of seniors that really want to go out on a positive note and just have a successful season." In addition to its seniors, Benzie Central will also look for some younger
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players to step up. The Huskies roster will feature juniors Dylan Bates, Chris Dunlop, Jake Kennedy, Jared Streeter, Seth Stoltz, Wesley VanPoortlfliet and Seth Wilkinson. Also, sophomores Nate Childers and Quinn Zickert have made the varsity team this year, and Crocker expects them to have big impacts this winter. Overall, the Huskies do not have tremendous height, but several players, especially Niswonger, have shown physicality in the post, and Crocker thinks his team's athleticism can help the Huskies win a lot of games. "I am really excited about our potential and our outlook for the season," Crocker said�. We've got a really talented team. We're not the biggest team, but we've got some kids that can run. We've got that strong cross country background. I'm hoping that we can use that to our advantage where possible ... I think we have a lot of player skills that we can lean on, especially early in the season as we still kind of figure out who we are. I am really excited about the potential and athleticism this group has. "We want to be realistic with expectations, but at the same time, not sell ourselves short. I want the sky to be
Bennett Niswonger shoots a jumper from the corner during a game last year. (File photo)
the limit for these guys. At this point, we haven't played a game yet, so we have unlimited potential. At the same time, we have to make sure we handle this in very small increments, because if we do get fixated with long-term goals and stumble on our short-term goals, were not going to be doing ourselves any favors."
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BENZIE CENTRAL WRESTLING: Pictured are (front row, left to right) manager Jarred Smith, Ethan Edinger, Genevieve Christopher, JT Gray, Cael Katt, Eli Tallent, Canaan Kreiner, Aaliyah Nix, Kelsey Novogradac; (middle row, left to right) Tyrese Branch, Caleb Orr, Kyan Quick, Justin Kruske, Sam Ross, Dade Allen, Jason Lopez, Liam Jones, Landon Pangborn, Wyatt Noffsinger; (back row, left to right) assistant coach Cody VanDonkelaar, coach Josh Lovendusky, Grant Hackbarth, Tucker Ward, Dylan Chrzanowski, Jesse Schlotterbech, Carson Kelsey, Jack Stevenson, Cody Hanson, Ike Koscielski, assistant coach Scott Gray and assistant coach Scot Laing. (Photo/Robert Myers)
Huskies wrestlers hungry for postseason accolades By Robert Myers Staff Writer BENZONIA — Benzie Central's wrestling team is looking to build off a strong 2018-19 season to achieve even greater success this winter. Last year, the Huskies won their first team district championship since 2012 as well as seven medals in individual districts before eventually sending two wrestlers to individual state finals. Benzie Central has lost a few wrestlers to graduation and other circumstances, but still brings back a very deep and talented wrestling room this winter. Leading the way is senior Cody Hanson, who was one of the team's two state qualifiers last year and has an excellent opportunity to reach 100 career wins this season, providing he can stay healthy. "Cody has is eyes set on nothing but a state medal and competing for
state championship," said Benzie Central coach Josh Lovendusky. Another aspiring state medalist is junior Sam Ross. Last year, an inopportune bout with the flu likely cost Ross a chance to qualify for state finals, but Lovendusky is optimistic about Ross's chances this year. Another talented returner is sophomore Ike Koscielski, who emerged late last season to become a regional qualifier. Lovendusky also pointed to sophomore Eli Tallent and freshmen Cael Katt and Landen Pangborn as candidates to have big years and potentially qualify for state finals. Overall, Lovendusky loves his freshmen class. "I've got a group of freshmen that are just ornery," he said. "We are going to be just as tough on the bottom half as the top half (of the weight classes), and last year, everybody was afraid of our top." With this added depth, the Huskies are setting their goals high. District and
Benzie Central's Cody Hanson works to pin an opponent during a conference match last year. (File photo)
regional team championships appear to be in play, with team districts taking place on Feb. 12 at Reed City. "We lost Chippewa Hills from our region, so our toughest match up (to reach team state finals) is going to be in the district against Reed City," Loven-
dusky said. "If we can get by them, we have an amazing chance to make it to the finals. There are a couple of tough teams like Gladstone and Grayling, but I truly believe that if we put together the lineup that we have, we can beat them."
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Frankfort wrestling room rich in talent, experience this winter By Robert Myers Staff Writer FRANKFORT — The Frankfort wrestling team will be more about quality than the quantity this winter. While the past couple years saw numbers swell, this year, the Panthers will be featuring a much smaller lineup. Nonetheless, the wrestlers that Frankfort coach Jaime Smith does send onto the mat should prove competitive more often than not thanks to an experienced room that features all returning wrestlers. According to Smith this experience has translated to her team getting back into the swing of things very quickly. "The benefit to having a small team is that we are three weeks ahead of where we normally are. We don't have a single new wrestler, so we are pretty much picking up where we left off last year," she said. "When you see that you are a thin team, you can really focus on individuals and direct your practices toward that." Smith will have added help coaching this year, thanks to her husband Ethan Smith. "My husband (Ethan Smith) who was a four-time state placer and college wrestler is coming in as a full-time assistant, so that is an amazing thing for our program," she said. Frankfort also will be led this year by a strong senior class, whom Smith said she is counting on to provide leadership, as the majority of them have been wrestling for her since their freshman year. One senior, in particular, to watch will be Ridge Cicchelli. He is chasing 100 career wins and could just reach that mark if the season goes well. "Ridge will be close. We are going to have to see how he comes out of the gate. He's going to have to put together a really good season with probably a tournament run to
FRANKFORT WRESTLING TEAM: Pictured are (front row) manager Karter Smith; (middle row, left to right) EZ Thompson, Auggie Pasch, Jared Coxe, Ridge Cicchelli, Briellen Clapp; (back row, left to right) coach Ethan Smith, Tucker Hubbard, Devin Payne, Jeff Lane, Jacob Walrad and coach Jaime Smith. Not pictured: Kale Clapp and Ryan Willsey. (Photo/Robert Myers)
be there," Smith said. She also pointed to Jared Coxe, Tucker Hubbard and Jacob Walrad as wrestlers who could be primed for big years. Not to be lost among her male counterparts is sophomore Briellen Clapp, who won the respect of opposing wrestlers and coaches last season and should contend for a girls individual state title after finishing fourth last year in the inaugural girls state championship event. "Briellen is going to be a terror this year," Smith said. "She is excited and really wants to go on that structured path. She kind of made the decision this year that wrestling is her No. 1 sport, so now we just have to focus on preparing her for Feb. 2 (the girls state championship). She is excited to compete and is 100 percent
Frankfort's Briellen Clapp works to pin an opponent as the referee keeps careful watch. (File photo)
focused on that. She is a hard worker." Overall, Smith said she is excited about how competitive her whole room is. The lack of numbers at the lower weights will make any team success an
uphill climb, even though the Panthers do host team districts on Feb. 13, but she hopes the competition and experience her wrestlers have in the higher weight classes will help push them to qualify for the regional
and state tournaments. "We have some quality kids, that if they want it, it's within their reach," Smith said. "They just have to decide if they are going to do the work for it."
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FRANKFORT GIRLS BASKETBALL: Pictured are (front row, left to right) Madisen Clouse, Kinzee Stockdale, Keyan Clapp, Maretta Gillison, Adreena Swain, Ellie Tiesworth, manager Ellie Rommell; (middle row, left to right) Tara Townsend, Tatum Townsend, Taylor Myers, Lucy Reznich, Haley Myers, Madi Odette, Emma Mackenzie, manager Grace Wolfe; (back row, left to right) coach Tim Reznich, Mariah Manning, Presley Bartley, Abby Hodge, Emily Loney, Reagan Thorr, Maggie Kelly, manager Evelyn VanTol, manager Sevina Anhalt and JV coach Mike Nerg. (Photo/Robert Myers)
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won six straight district championships. It is a streak they are proud of, but with only one regional championship in the past four years, they are looking for more this winter. Inspired by the Frankfort boys basketball team that reached the state championship game last March, the girls are now looking to start the new decade with their own Breslin Center appearance. It would be their first since 2015. "(The boys going to the Breslin Center) was so exciting for the whole community. The girls want to be part of that too and have their own big moment," said Frankfort coach Tim Reznich. "There is no question that we could do it. The seniors we have this year
Record Patriot Winter Sports 2019 have been a big part of this program all four years. They are highly motivated. They realize the potential is there, and they are in the right frame of mind." Frankfort appears strong in every aspect of the game. With post players like senior Abby Hodge and junior Emily Loney returning, the Panthers have the size and physicality to compete with any team in the state in paint. Reznich is also thrilled at the athleticism he has with a deep guard group that should be able to harass opposing ball handlers all game and then quickly turn things around in transition. The team's top returning player is junior Reagan Thorr who had a breakout game in a comeback win against Benzie Central and earned honorable mention all-state honors honor last year. Reznich fully expects her to build on on her sophomore year and continue to emerge as one of the top wing players in the state this winter. "She is extremely motivated, so it should be a great year for her," Reznich said. "She doesn't have to do it alone which is huge. She has a lot of girls who can help out, so it should be a lot of fun." For this talented Frankfort team, how much postseason success the Panthers enjoy will likely depend on how well they finish. The one thing that stood out in most of the team's losses last year was Frankfort's struggles to get
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shots to fall in the paint. This notably happened in last year's regional semifinal loss when the Panthers shot just 23 percent from the field despite outrebounding their opponent and having numerous opportunities in the paint. "Part of my welcome back speach focused on finishing," Reznich said. "We have the athleticism and the potential to be a very good team. It all depends on how we finish. If you throw finishing into the mix, we are going to be really, really good. It does all come down to that, and it's going to be a focus in all of our practices this year." If they can finish, the sky might be the limit for the Panthers, who will certainly be tested by a tough conference schedule that features Glen Lake and Kingsley teams that return a lot of talent. The Panthers also cannot sleep on a Benzie Central team that has averaged 15 wins the past three seasons and a highly talented Onekama team. "We have a lot of banners up, and that conference championship banner is pretty special, because I know what it takes to win our conference for the girls," Reznich said. "Look at the trips to the semis and finals over the last 10 years for teams from our conference. We are pretty darn well represented ... I have a lot of guys that I talk to throughout the year that are jealous of our conference. We are a Class D
Reagan Thorr battles through contact for a layup against Lake Leelanau St. Mary. (File photo)
team having an opportunity to play these teams twice in super competitive rivalries. It's just a great situation for us." A conference championship would be nice, but as always, the ultimate goal and reason the Panthers annually play such a tough schedule is postseason success. This year, districts will take the Panthers for a short trip down M-22 to Onekama High School. Should they advance to the regional round, those games would take place at Traverse City Central. Quarterfinals will take place at Clare.
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Returning talent, deep rosters have Benzie-Frankfort ski team optimistic this winter By Robert Myers Staff Writer BENZIE COUNTY — The Benzie-Frankfort Ski Team is looking to make some noise on the slopes this winter thanks to a returning veteran core and a large group of talented newcomers. Last year, a lack of numbers presented a challenge for coach Adam Putney and his skiers. With just four or five skiers racing at a given meet, there was always the danger of one bad run significantly dropping the team in the scoring. The team looks to be out of the woods this year, however, as the team now runs 10 deep on the girls side and seven deep on the boys side thanks to an infusion of new talent. "It'll be good. We won't
have to sweat it so bad," Putney said. "We've got some new ones who have been skiing with the middle school a couple of years, so they should be good this year." Anna Wolfe, Ella Gaylord, Savannah Peck and Emily Fouchey will all join the girls team as incoming freshmen. The girls team will also feature newcomers in exchange student Irene Crivellaro and Frankfort senior Janey Turner. This group joins a veteran core led by upperclassmen Victoria Cobb, Reeve Katt, Hannah Kistler and Nora Pashe. The boys team, meanwhile, is led by returning skiers Kirk Beeman, Seth Johnson, William O'Dwyer and Quincy Thayer, who despite racing as only a team of four sophomores managed to claim the Lake Michigan Ski Conference
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BENZIE-FRANKFORT SKI TEAM: Pictured are (front row, left to right) Irene Crivellaro, Janey Turner, Savannah Peck, Emily Fouchey, Anna Wolfe, Hannah Kistler, Victoria Cobb, Reeve Katt; (back row, left to right) coach Adam Putney, Nora Pasche, Ella Gaylord, Miles Tucker, Quincy Thayer, Lucas Hansen, Seth Johnson, William O'Dwyer and Kirk Beeman. Not pictured: Ethan Novack. (Photo/Robert Myers)
championship for a sixth straight season last February. This time around, the group should have a little more room for error thanks to newcomers Lucas Hansen, Ethan Novack and Miles Tucker.
Overall, this group, led by a returning state qualifier in Thayer, has Putney very optimistic at what his teams can accomplish at the conference level and beyond. "The boys should be able
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to defend conference, I'm hoping," Putney said. "On the girls side, Glen Lake will put out a strong team, but I think our girls have really improved this year, so we will see what that does, but it should make for a good season."
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Benzie Central looking to carry on winning with new cast By Robert Myers Staff Writer
BENZONIA – Benzie Central girls basketball is hoping that a new generation of players can carry on its tradition of recent success this winter. The Huskies enter their new season coming off seasons of 14, 17 and 16 victories, but to continue to that success, new players will have to step up this year after the Huskies lost five of their top eight players from last year to graduation. Hope is not lost, however, as Benzie Central does return plenty of talent, led by junior Ellen Bretzke who earned second team all-conference honors last year and could take a big step forward this year as the team’s top returning scorer. The Huskies also return experienced seniors Jenna Cole and Andrea Taghon, who both played significant minutes last season, either in the occasional start or as two of the first players off the bench. Other returning seniors include guards Kylee Streeter and Carly Wade. “We have a good core group of seniors that have been in the program since they were very young,” said Benzie Central coach Sarah Ross. “They are comfortable with the program enough that as we are bringing in some new faces, they can really lead.” All of these seniors have impressed Ross not only with their leadership but also with the hard work they put in over the summer to prepare to take new or larger roles on the varsity team. “Carly Wade, this summer, did a great job bringing the ball up and putting Ellen in some scoring positions. Kylee Streeter showed herself to be a scorer all summer. Jenna Cole became a scorer all summer and was able to play some post
BENZIE CENTRAL GIRLS BASKETBALL: Pictured are (front row left to right) Kylee Streeter, Maelyn Beasley, Carly Wade, Elise Johnson, Zoe Lozowski; (back row, left to right), Alyssa Brouwer, Jenna Cole, Emmy Halkola, Ellen Bretzke, Andrea Taghon and Johanna Trevisan. (Photo/Robert Myers)
for us. Andrea solidified herself a post player who can really get up the floor. She is a very athletic four,” Ross said. Among the players new to the varsity roster this year are exchange students Emmy Halkola and Johanna Trevisan; juniors Alyssa Brouwer, Maelyn Beasley and Zoe Lozowski; and sophomore Elise Johnson who emerged as one of the top JV players last year. Overall, athleticism seems
to be a theme once again for the Huskies this year. Last year, Benzie Central made a name for itself with its aggressive style of play fueled by a feisty defense and long athletic wings. While the Huskies do not have tremendous height in the low post, their wings once again look to be long and athletic playmakers who will keep opponents on their toes. See CAST page 12
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“We certainly have kids with scoring capability and kids who are capable of getting up the floor,” Ross said. “All those girls are comfortable handling the ball. I have five girls that can transition, so our offense is going to be a fast-paced offense.” Last season the Huskies
finished third in conference play, and the Northwest Conference again looks to be very competitive with defending conference champion Glen aLake, last year’s runner-up Kingsley and a very good Frankfort all returning talented rosters. Their conference slate
should prepare the Huskies well for districts, which should be equally challenging, as Benzie Central will look to finally break through for a district title against a challenging field at host school Cadillac.
Jenna Cole squares up for a corner three during last season. (File photo)
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