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| Johannesburg-Lewiston Lady Cards Varsity Basketball Roster 2011 |
#3 |
Miranda House |
#10 |
Natalie Hamilton |
#12 |
Abby Schlicher |
#14 |
Brittany Cherwinski |
#15 |
Nicki Bush |
#20 |
Gabby Coppersmith |
#22 |
Hailey Reasner |
#24 |
Hannah Huff |
#32 |
Katelyn Weaver |
#33 |
Katie Kierczynski |
#40 |
Tiffany Nickert |
Coach:
Heather Huff
Assistant Coach:
Brett McVannel
Managers:
Renee Campbell
Kelsey Cherwinski
Madison Showerman
Ashley May |
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|
| Johannesburg-Lewiston Lady Cards J.V. Basketball Roster 2011 |
#10 |
Madison Ewing |
#12 |
Sarah Hofer |
#14 |
Hailey Haase |
#20 |
Ashley Rider |
#22 |
Sydney McKinney |
#24 |
Hailey Weaver |
#30 |
Allison LaPointe |
#32 |
Kelsey Hardy |
#34 |
Julia Nieman |
#42 |
Abbie May |
#50 |
Shannon Kievit |
#52 |
McKenzie Mathewson |
#54 |
Emily Aisthorpe |
Coach:
Brett McVannel
Assistant Coach:
Kassie Campbell
|
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Lady Cards close out home slate in style
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team celebrated Senior Night in style Thursday with a 68-18 victory against Mancelona.
Senior Miranda House scored the first points of the game, and the Cardinals kept rolling, building a 41-10 lead at halftime. Abby Schlicher led J-L with 18 points, while Brittany Cherwinski and Hannah Huff each chipped in nine points.
J-L improved to 17-2 overall and finished the Ski Valley Conference season with a 14-2 record, good for second place.
The Cardinals will close out the regular season Thursday at Boyne Falls. J-L opens Class C District play Monday, Feb. 27, at Inland Lakes.
J-L 71, Pellston 28
PELLSTON — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball squad, motivated by an early first quarter scare, rolled over Pellston Tuesday, 71-28.
Once again, the Cardinals displayed that they are some of the biggest thieves in the Ski Valley Conference with 26 steals on the night.
Abby Schlicher and Tiffany Nickert led the team with five each. Miranda House, Nikki Bush, Gabby Coppersmith and Hannah Huff had three steals apiece.
After the first quarter, the offense found its groove. Schlicher led the charge, scoring 21 points. Brittany Cherwinski contributed 14, and Katelyn Weaver scored nine, highlighting a night when nearly every Cardinal entered the score sheet.
Cherwinski was one rebound away from a double-double with nine to lead the team.
J-L showed its dominance at the boards. Huff snagged eight rebounds and Coppersmith, Nickert and Weaver each pulled down seven.
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Cardinals continue winning ways against Central Lake
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team took care of business Thursday knocking off Central Lake 52-38 at home.
The Cardinals (15-2, 12-2 Ski Valley Conference) played a strong offensive first half, utilizing outside shooting and strong post play. J-L jumped out to a 30-20 lead at the half.
Defense took over in the second half and the home team built up its lead to 37-24 after three quarters. Coach Heather Huff was happy with the fact the Lady Cards only committed 13 turnovers in the game. “We talked about that being an important thing before the game, and we did a good job,” she said. “That really made a difference for us.”
Junior Abby Schlicher led the way for the Cardinals, knocking down four 3-pointers to go with her 15 points. Junior Tiffany Nickert added 10 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Brittany Cherwinski had eight points. Junior Hannah Huff tallied six points, while senior Miranda House and junior Katelyn Weaver each pulled down eight rebounds.
Lauren Rogers led Central Lake (8-10, 7-7 Ski Valley) with 16 points, while Sheila Crouse added 10 points.
J-L closes out the Ski Valley Conference slate next week against Pellston (Tuesday) and Mancelona (Thursday).
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Big second quarter lifts J-L girls to road victory
Gaylord Herald Times
INDIAN RIVER — Sophomore Brittany Cherwinski scored 17 points and junior Abby Schlicher added 13 points as Johannesburg-Lewiston earned a nice 46-33 victory at Inland Lakes Tuesday.
The Cardinals improved to 14-2 overall and 11-2 in the Ski Valley Conference. They beat the hard-charging Bulldogs, who had won five of their previous six contests.
The game was close after the first quarter with J-L holding an 8-7 lead. The Cardinals exploded in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 23-8 and taking a 31-16 lead into the locker room.
Senior Miranda House added six points for the Cardinals, while junior Katelyn Weaver and Cherwinski each pulled down five rebounds.
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J-L offensive blast in overtime leads to victory
Gaylord Herald Times
BELLAIRE — Johannesburg-Lewiston and Bellaire slugged through 32 minutes of sweltering defense Tuesday, but the squads opened it up in the overtime session.
The game was tied 31-31 after regulation and in a comparative offensive explosion, the Cardinals outscored Bellaire 14-10 in the extra frame to slip by with a 45-41 victory.
The victory improved J-L to 13-2 overall and 10-2 in the Ski Valley Conference. Bellaire dropped to 7-6 and 5-5 in the league.
Junior Abby Schlicher had a double-double for the Lady Cards with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while senior Miranda House added 10 points, six steals and five rebounds. Junior Tiffany Nickert scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds, while sophomore Brittany Cherwinski had six points and six rebounds. Juniors Hannah Huff and Katelyn Weaver pulled down seven and six caroms, respectively.
J-L fell behind 10-8 after the first quarter but tied it at halftime, 19-19. Bellaire took a 28-23 advantage into the fourth quarter, where the Lady Cards spurted to tie the game.
Bellaire’s Olivia Herring scored with two seconds left to force the extra frame.
Katie Thornton led the Eagles with 16 points.
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St. Mary, Borowiak 3rd quarter bombs sink Lady Cardinals
By Matt Wenzel, Staff Writer
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — For just under three minutes in the third quarter Tuesday, the St. Mary girls’ basketball team could do no wrong. In particular, sophomore Kari Borowiak could not miss the hoop. It was a show that Johannesburg-Lewiston could only sit back and watch as the burst allowed the No. 2- ranked Snowbirds to turn a tight game into a 57-34 victory.
“We were a little tired out there in the second quarter,” said St. Mary coach Kevin Foster. “We went in at halftime and had some snacks, talked about things and came out in the second half with a lot of energy.” The team may want to stick with the same brand of granola.
At the beginning of the third quarter, with the score 23-21, the Snowbirds sped out to a 14-point run on their way to their second victory against the Cardinals this season. Borowiak scored 10 of the 14 points, including two shots from beyond the 3-point line. She led all scorers with 25 points, including four treys. According to Foster, just because Borowiak stood out on the stat sheet does not mean it was a one Snowbird show.
“This was definitely a team effort,” Foster said. “You can’t shut down a player as good as (Abby) Schlicher and the size they have there without playing defense as a team.” Schlicher, J-L’s leading scorer, was held scoreless for the first time this season.
The combination of Chrissy Smith, Karli Jacob and Borowiak accounted for all but 12 of St. Mary’s points. “Those three together did well, but I also thought Michelle Samalik and Mary Spyhalski had great games,” Foster said. “Karli and Chrissy were excellent on defense, but when there was a rotation or they needed help, there was always somebody there to step in.”
Jacob added 12 points for St. Mary, while Smith chipped in eight.
Smith and Jacob led the team with five assists each. Jacob also had a good night on the boards with 11 rebounds. With the exception of the beginning of the second half, the red side of the court kept the pressure on the Snowbirds.
Even down 17-6 at the beginning of the second quarter, the Cardinals continued to battle.
Spurred on by a couple of baskets each from Brittany Cherwinski and Katelyn Weaver, J-L turned the last two minutes of the first half into a 9-0 run. Cardinal coach Heather Huff illustrated that coaches do not have to like the outcome to like the effort.
“I am much happier with the effort that we gave tonight than the last time we played this team,” Huff said. “We played a lot better as a team. I can’t take anything away from them (St. Mary), they are a good team. We just need to be more consistent with our play and with our ball movement.”
Leading scorers for J-L were Weaver with 11 and Cherwinski with seven, most of hers coming from tough shots in the paint. They were also the leading rebounder's for the team with eight each. Coach Huff credited Hannah Huff (six points, seven rebounds) with excellent play, as well.
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J-L girls win battle of Cardinals in Onaway
Gaylord Herald Times
ONAWAY — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team defeated Onaway in the battle of the Cardinals Wednesday, 61-53.
Abby Schlicher was J-L’s leading scorer with 18 points to go with 10 steals and eight rebounds.
Brittany Cherwinski had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Tiffany Nickert also grabbed nine rebounds.
The game was close in the first half with J-L holding just a 34-31 lead at halftime. The visiting Cardinals then bumped that up to 46-41 heading into the fourth quarter.
J-L (10-1, 8-1 in Ski Valley) welcomes St. Mary into town Tuesday as the Cardinals look to avenge their only loss of the season. Onaway fell to 7-4 overall and 4-4 in the Ski Valley.
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Girls hoops roundup: Snowbirds, Cards easily win, look ahead to Jan. 24 battle
Gaylord Herald Times
MANCELONA — The St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball teams are both tuning up fine in anticipation of facing one another Tuesday, Jan. 24, in Johannesburg.
J-L silenced any talk of a letdown Friday with a 77-38 rout against Mancelona.
The road victory came just in time for a J-L squad that saw a 32-31 buzzer beater over Bellaire on Jan. 4, followed by a narrow 44-41 victory over Inland Lakes last Wednesday.
A second-quarter offensive explosion led to a 32-16 Cardinal lead at halftime against Mancelona.
The second half proved no better for the Lady Ironmen, as J-L had them doubled up again, 52-26, heading into the fourth quarter. J-L junior Abby Schlicher had a triple-double on the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Schlicher missed a quadruple-double by just three steals.
Brittany Cherwinski led the Cardinals in scoring with 21 points and rebounds with 11. Miranda House scored 17 points and added six steals. The red defense continues to dominate opponents this season. Out of the 10 games, J-L has surrendered more than 40 points just twice this season and both games were victories.
With a record of 9-1 (6-1 in Ski Valley), the Lady Cards’ only loss came to St. Mary, 38-20. It was the only time the Snowbirds have been held under 40 points all season. The Cardinals travel to Onaway today (Wednesday) before returning home to take on Pellston on Friday.
J-L maintained its undefeated season with a 65-15 junior varsity victory.
Hailey Weaver had 15 points and 14 rebounds for J-L, while Julia Nieman tallied 14 points. Abbie May and Sydney McKenney each chipped in eight points.
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Cardiac Cards survive frenetic comeback attempt by Inland Lakes
By Jeremy Speer Editor ~ Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — The Lady Cards are beginning to turn into the Cardiac Cards. For the second Wednesday in as many weeks, J-L engineered a thrilling, yet uncomfortable victory, this time downing Inland Lakes 44-41.
Last week, Abby Schlicher’s jumper with six seconds left allowed the Cardinals (8-1, 5-1 Ski Valley) to sneak past Bellaire by one point. This time, Schlicher again had a huge hand in the affair. With seven seconds left and J-L up 42-41, Schlicher was fouled and was sent to the line for an all-important 1-and-1. She calmly swished the first as well as the second, giving the Cardinals the all-important three-point lead. The sweltering Cardinal press did not allow the Bulldogs
(5-4, 4-2 Ski Valley) to get off a shot in the final seven seconds as the buzzer sounded.
Schlicher, who is developing a reputation as one of the area’s most clutch players, led all scorers with 15 points. Just like the Bellaire game, J-L let what looked to be a comfortable lead slip by the wayside in the second half. The Cardinals were up by as many as 17 points in the third quarter before a frenetic Inland Lakes charge ensued. Thanks to the three-point shooting of junior Sarah Kolb and the inside maneuvering of junior Sandy Bischoff, the Bulldogs cut the lead to 12 points after the third quarter before making an ever-bigger fourth-quarter charge.
A key reason for the Bulldogs’ success was that they gave J-L a bit of its own medicine. The Lady Cards have long employed an energetic full-court press that generates a good deal of the team’s offense. Inland Lakes turned the tables by installing a second-half press of its own and it worked wonders. But in the end, the scrappy J-L defense and Schlicher’s clutch play were just enough to keep the hard-charging Bulldogs at bay.
Junior Tiffany Nickert and sophomore Brittany Cherwinski each added eight points for J-L, while senior Miranda House chipped in six. Kolb nailed a trio of three-pointers to go with 11 points for Inland Lakes while Bischoff had 10 points and Hannah Passino and Caitlin Connolly had six apiece.
“I’m glad the conference is getting tougher,” said J-L coach Heather Huff. “They are a good team and they gave us a great test. Games like these will help us in the postseason.” With the victory, the Cardinals moved into sole possession of second place in the league, just one game back of undefeated St. Mary. The two rivals will clash again Jan. 24 in Johannesburg.
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J-L girls beat up on Trojans on the road
Gaylord Herald Times
CENTRAL LAKE — A couple of years of frustrations against Central Lake were erased Friday as Johannesburg-Lewiston earned a 53-23 road win against the Trojans.
Junior Abby Schlicher again led the Cardinals (7-1, 4-1 Ski Valley) with 16 points, six steals, five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Brittany Cherwinski added 11 points and five rebounds, while junior Tiffany Nickert chipped in seven points and six rebounds. Also for J-L, junior Hannah Huff had nine rebounds and five steals.
The Cardinals jumped ahead 11-3 after the first quarter and increased their lead to 23-12 at halftime. A strong third quarter gave J-L a 36-16 lead heading into the fourth.
Central Lake fell to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the Ski Valley. The Cardinals return to action today (Wednesday) at home against Inland Lakes in a matchup between the two teams which are tied for second place in the Ski Valley.
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Schlicher's game-winner allows J-L to avoid Bellaire upset bid
By Jeremy Speer Editor
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — Content to differ to her teammates for much of the game, Abby Schlicher was there every time the Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team needed a big basket.
None was bigger than the junior guard’s baseline jumper with six seconds remaining, a shot that allowed the Lady Cardinals to avoid an upset in a highly-contested 32-31 victory against Bellaire.
Schlicher totaled 16 points in the game, half of J-L’s total. The inability to score in the second half allowed the Eagles to slip back into the game and erase a 12-point halftime lead.
We have a lot to work on in practice,” said J-L coach Heather Huff after the game. “We knew Bellaire was a better team and they did a great job. I thought we played hard defensively — but they played even harder.”
Bellaire senior Chelsye Bartsch hit a running layup with less than two minutes to go while being fouled and connected on her foul attempt, giving the Eagles their first lead of the game, 29-28. On the next possession, the Cardinals calmly go the ball to junior post player Hannah Huff, who executed a nice shot to give the hosts a 31-30 lead.
But Bellaire (3-3, 1-3 Ski Valley) kept coming back and sophomore Mariah Cords hit a right handed runner with 20 seconds left to put the Eagles back up one.
That’s when coach Huff called a timeout and drew up a play, naturally to Schlicher. Double teamed after receiving the inbound pass, Schlicher beat the two defenders by driving baseline and throwing up the game-winner. Bellaire advanced the ball up court after a timeout but a game-winning three-point attempt by Katie Thornton was just wide.
J-L (6-1, 3-1 Ski Valley) led 12-5 after the first quarter and 22-10 at halftime and appeared poised to extend the lead in the third quarter. But the spirited Eagles had other ideas and held J-L to just 12 second-half points, including just two in the third quarter.
Wanting to reward them for hard work in practice, Huff tinkered with her starting lineup by lining up senior Nicki Bush and juniors Natalie Hamilton, Gabby Coppersmith, Katelyn Weaver and Katie Kierczynski to start the game.
“It wasn’t anything the others did, I just thought that group really worked hard and deserved the opportunity,” Huff said.
When the normal starters entered the game midway through the first quarter, they made an immediate impact as Schlicher and sophomore Brittany Cherwinski scored consecutive baskets within 20 seconds.
Junior Tiffany Nickert added six points for J-L, who had no player besides Schlicher or Nickert score more than two points.
Bartsch netted 14 points to lead Bellaire while Cords chipped in six.
J-L is back in action at Central Lake Friday.
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St. Mary takes rivalry clash
By Matt Wenzel, Staff Writer ~ Gaylord Herald Times
GAYLORD — There are several, too many perhaps, old sports adages about whether it is better to have a potent offense or a stingy defense.
In the girls’ basketball rivalry of St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston, the first round went to the potent offense.
The score may have been low as St. Mary came out on top, 38-20.
With the victory, the Snowbirds (5-0, 3-0 Ski Valley) have earned a place on top of the Ski Valley Conference.
The game was slated as a battle of the charismatic, multi-faceted offense of the Snowbirds against a smothering defense of the Cards (4-1, 2-1 Ski Valley), who have piled up the steals and went into Wednesday night’s matchup with an average margin of victory of 28 points.
“We were a little hesitant offensively in the beginning,” said St. Mary coach Kevin Foster. “After the second quarter we were able to get on the same page.”
The view was different on the other side of the court.
“We didn’t come out in the second half,” said a frustrated J-L coach Heather Huff.
Through the first two quarters of play, the defenses for both teams were working their magic.
It took more than three minutes for the teams to tie each other at 2-2 when J-L’s Brittany Cherwinski matched an earlier basket from St. Mary’s Kari Borowiak.
The Lady Cards had an 8-4 lead going into the final seconds of the first quarter when Mary Spyhalski cut the lead on a clutch jumper at the horn.
The defensive battle continued through the second quarter.
St. Mary managed nine points in the quarter as J-L continued to frustrate the offense, but the J-L defense perhaps played a little too close.
Five out of the nine Snowbird points were from the free-throw stripe, where they shot 80 percent for the game.
Throughout the second quarter, when the St. Mary offense was able to put up points, J-L matched them stride for stride.
St. Mary junior Sarah Long sank a layup that was quickly answered by Cardinal’s Hannah Huff.
The half ended with a layup by Snowbird senior Karli Jacobs, giving St. Mary the lead going into halftime but by the slimmest of margins, 15-14.
Jacobs finished the game with a team-high 10 points
The third quarter would not be the same as the first.
“In the second half we were much better,” Foster said. “We were letting their pressure get to us, but once we settled down we played well. That is a very good team (J-L) over there and to hold them to six points in the second half was good.”
St. Mary extended its lead through the third quarter as the Snowbirds flexed some defensive muscle of their own with two steals from Borowiak, helping the team extend its lead from one to eight by the end of the stanza, 26-18.
It was a lead St. Mary extended throughout the fourth and, with the exception of a jump shot by J-L leader Abby Schlicher, the Cardinals remained quiet.
Schlicher finished the game with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.
“We are going to work more on the defense, and we could always work on shooting,” Huff said. “We just need to work on meshing together in general.”
The two teams will meet again Jan. 24 in Johannesburg.
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Lady Cards stay perfect with pair of victories
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls' basketball team continued its undefeated season with a 60-30 victory against Forest Area Friday.
After holding just a two-point lead after the first quarter, the Cardinals
(4-0, 2-0 Ski Valley) exploded to take a 32-17 halftime lead.
Junior Abby Schlicher turned in quite the impressive stat sheet with a triple double of 16 points, 13 rebounds and 11 steals.
Sophomore Brittany Cherwinski added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Cardinals, while junior Katelyn Weaver had seven points and nine rebounds. Also for J-L, junior Natalie Hamilton chipped in six points.
Forest Area fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the Ski
Valley.
J-L 62, Wolverine 16
JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team tuned up for Wednesday’s big clash with St. Mary with a 62-16 victory against Wolverine Monday at home.
J-L raced out to a 32-10 halftime lead and pushed it to 43-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Abby Schlicher led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points, while Brittany Cherwinski scored 14 points, and Hannah Huff added 13 points.
Miranda House, Natalie Hamilton, Gabby Coppersmith and Tiffany Nickert each netted four points in the win.
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J-L girls open Ski Valley play with win over Onaway
Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — The battle between a pair of unbeaten Cardinals teams went the way of Johannesburg-Lewiston in a 55-37 victory against Onaway Wednesday.
A 14-3 first quarter was the difference maker in the Ski Valley Conference opener.
“It was a good second game,” said Lady Cards coach Heather Huff. “We are getting better at reading each other, and our shooting was much better from the last one (game).”
Onaway (2-1, 0-1 Ski Valley) could not answer the J-L offensive onslaught early in the game as it fell behind 32-19 at halftime.
Sophomore Brittany Cherwinski was the leading scorer for the second-straight game with 18 points. Many of those baskets were set up by junior Abby Schlicher, who led the team with six assists, nine steals and 10 rebounds.
Schlicher also chipped in eight points before fouling out of the game in the second half.
Hannah Huff also had a solid night in the paint with seven rebounds and three steals.
Miranda House added eight points and five steals.
The defense continues to dominate J-L foes this season, piling up 26 steals as a team.
On Wednesday, the Lady Cards (2-0, 1-0 Ski Valley) will make the short cross-county trip to face rival St. Mary (3-0, 1-0 Ski Valley).
The J-L junior varsity team remained undefeated after beating Onaway 37-27.
Julia Nieman was the game’s leading scorer with 16 points. She also led the team with 16 rebounds and seven steals. Abbie May contributed six points, five rebounds and three steals. Sydney McKinney had six points, six rebounds and four steals.
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J-L girls' hoops starts season with 72-30 victory over Fairview
By Matt Wenzel, Staff Writer
Gaylord Herald Times
The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team began the season with a victory, defeating Fairview at home 72-30. Brittany Cherwinski led the Cardinals with 19 points and Miranda House added 17. A full recap will be in Saturday’s edition of the Herald Times. JOHANNESBURG — A swarming defense helped the Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team to a 72-30 season-opening victory against Fairview Tuesday.
As a team, the Lady Cards were more like lady thieves combining for 33 steals in the game.
Junior Abby Schlicher led the way with 10 on her own and seven out of the 10 players who saw time on the court had at least three steals. “I was pleased with the defense, and we took care of the ball on offense and didn’t turn it over,” said J-L coach Heather Huff.
Visibly outsized, the Eagles faced the difficulty of a smothering J-L full-court press.
The Cardinals set up shop in Fairview’s passing lanes, leading to a 17-5 first quarter lead. The score could have been worse for the Eagles.
First-game jitters may have had an effect on the J-L shooters, who struggled to make open shots in the game’s beginning. Midway through the first quarter the Cards were 1-of-8 at the foul line.
“We haven’t concentrated on shooting as much in practice,” Huff said. “We have been busy working on other things. That is something we will need to work on.”
Sophomore Brittany Cherwinski looked in mid season form, attacking the basket down low and wrestling for rebounds. Cherwinski led the team in scoring with 19 points and rebounds with 11 caroms. Senior Miranda House added 17 points, while Schlicher chipped in 13.
Schlicher added seven rebounds, three away from completing an unusual steals-rebounds-points triple-double. Her effort was noticed by Huff who said Schlicher’s early offensive frustrations gave way to a defensive jump in the latter stages of the competition. She also led the team in assists with four.
Junior Hannah Huff pulled down eight rebounds, while junior Hailey Reasner added six.
“Overall it was a good first game for us,” Huff said. “Everyone who played tonight scored and that is always a good thing.”
The Eagles received solid effort from senior Ashley Simrau.
The Lady Cards (1-0) welcome their Cardinal counterparts, Onaway (2-0), into town Tuesday in the first Ski Valley Conference matchup of the young season.
JUNIOR VARSITY ~ J-L 53, Fairview 32
JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ junior varsity team outscored Fairview 53-32 in the first game of the season on Tuesday.
Julia Nieman led the Cardinals with 14 points, while a balanced attack also included Hailey Weaver with 12 points and Madison Ewing and McKenzie Mathewson with eight apiece.
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J-L aims for trip to 5th-straight Regional Finals
By Matt Wenzel, Staff Writer - Gaylord Herald Times
JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston girls’ basketball team is looking forward to Dec. 14. That Wednesday will be the first time the Lady Cardinals will have the opportunity to meet their cross-county rivals, St. Mary. And its very likely the Ski Valley Conference title will go to one of these two Otsego County girls’ powerhouses this year.
“I think St. Mary will be our tough competition this year,” said veteran J-L coach Heather Huff. “I think they are going to battle hard.”
Huff and the Cardinals are looking to rebound from last year when St. Mary handed J-L two of its five losses on the year. Both J-L (Class C) and St. Mary (Class D) advanced to the Regional Final.
After dominating Class D in the three years prior with trips to the State Semifinals, Quarterfinals and Regional Finals in different years, the Cardinals bumped up to Class C by a couple of students last season. That didn’t affect J-L’s postseason performance as the Cardinals won the District and defeated Harbor Springs in the Regional Semifinals before falling to Kalkaska in the Regional Finals.
If Huff is planning on returning to make a long run in the state tournament and tackling the rival Snowbirds, the team’s athleticism and experience are going to be major roles.
“Our speed will be one of our main assets this season,” Huff said. “We will also have a deep bench with so many players returning.”
Seniors Miranda House and Nicki Bush and junior Abby Schlicher provide the leadership for the team. Schlicher, in her third year playing varsity, returns as the leading scorer for the J-L team. A year ago, she averaged 13 points per game while also leading the team in assists and steals. She was an All-Ski Valley and Herald Times All-Area selection.
Other key returning players are juniors Hannah Huff and Hailey Reasner and sophomore Brittany Cherwinski. Rounding out the team are juniors Natalie Hamilton, Gabby Coppersmith, Katelyn Weaver, Katie Kierczynski and Tiffany Nickert.
“We have kids with some experience to draw on,” Huff said. “They are all very good athletes and coachable. Our goal is to improve their basketball skills so by the end of the season they become a much better team.”
Despite J-L and St. Mary’s standing as favorites in the Ski Valley, Huff said other teams are not going to be underestimated. “There are a lot of improved teams in the conference,” she said. “Forest Area. Inland Lakes. We take nobody lightly.”
Huff is qualified to talk about what it takes to make a good team. Her first year at J-L, 2003, was the last time the Cardinals finished a season below .500 and last season’s 19-5 mark was the first season since 2006 the team did not finish with more than 20 wins. Huff’s resume boasts a .721 winning percentage throughout her eight seasons with J-L.
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