The Prep Ball Report

Monday January 12th

North Farmington @ Southfield 5:30 PM

Tuesday January 13th

Detroit Henry Ford @ Detroit Cass Tech 4:00 PM

Detroit Renaissance @ Detroit Western 4:00 PM

Detroit Pershing @ Detroit East English 4:00 PM

Romulus @ Fordson 7:00 PM

West Bloomfield @ Warren De La Salle 7:00 PM

River Rouge vs. Allen Academy 7:00 PM @ Henry Ford College

Detroit Consortium @ Detroit Country Day 7:00 PM

Taylor Kennedy @ Melvindale 7:00 PM

Wednesday January 14th

Detroit Community vs. Detroit Southeastern  3:00 PM @ Palace of Auburn Hills

Thursday January 15th

Oak Park @ North Farmington 7:00 PM

Allen Park Inter-City Baptist @ Southfield Christian 7:30 PM

Friday January 16th

Grand Rapids Christian @ Lowell 6:00 PM

Ann Arbor Pioneer @ Ann Arbor Huron 7:00 PM

Belleville @ Dearborn Fordson 7:00 PM

Detroit University Prep @ Southfield Bradford 7:00 PM

Benton Harbor @ Stevensville-Lakeshore 7:00 PM

Ypsilanti @ Ypsilanti Lincoln 7:00 PM

Canton @ Plymouth 7:30 PM

Dearborn Divne Child @ Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 7:30

Saturday January 17th

Floyd Mayweather Classic @ Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills

Horatio Williams Freedom Games Classic @ Warren Fitzgerald

In a game delayed by one day due to inclement weather, the Ann Arbor Skyline Eagles evened their overall regular season record at 3-3 with over city rival Ann Arbor Pioneer 62-54.

The Eagles led from tip-off to final whistle, starting the game on an 8-1 run within the first six minutes of the contest. Skyline’s lead would never be less than four points in the first half of action, and would gain a 35-27 advantage after 16 minutes.

Pioneer would continue to trail through much of the second half, but would cut Skyline’s lead to as few as 2 points in the fourth quarter after sophomore point guard Chris McGaughy nailed a three pointer with 5:34 left.

However, Skyline senior Jon Muir-Cotton and freshman Jack Ammerman scored consecutive buckets and defensive holds to regain the lead for good. Fellow senior guard Marshal Alexander-White scored a game high 23 points, including two 3s in the fourth, and was 9-10 from the free-throw line on the day and hit four crucial foul shots within the final seconds of play.

Along with Alexander-White, freshman 5’9″ guard Jack Ammerman scored 17 points for Skyline off the bench. Ammerman scored 11 points in the first half, two threes, and made the first five shots he took on the night.

“Jack is a special player,” said Muir-Cotton. “He is a freshman, but he’s playing at a very high level.”

The win for Muir-Cotton is special, he scored seven points and hauled in the same amount of rebounds. As a senior, the feeling to beat a rival never gets old.

“I have only lost to Pioneer once,” John added, “and that was on the JV level.”
“So it means a lot to keep my record perfect vs. Pioneer in varsity.”

After winning their first two games of the season, Skyline sputtered into losing their next three. Cotton is hopeful the win will aid the Eagles in learning what it takes to win in the SEC this season.

“I think we can take away how we need to play to win games at beginning of the game,” John noted. “Coach Lovelace wanted us to set the tone because for all of our other games we had to adjust to the other teams tempo.”

“We have another game Tuesday vs. Monroe, and we know that they will be hungry and ready to play, so we will have the same keys to build on from what we did tonight.”

Pioneer was led by sophomores Jorsan Currie with 15 points 8 rebounds, and classmate Deric Murray with 14 points.

The last time Billy Thomas was in Michigan for high school basketball, he was a sophomore starter for the 2014 U of D Jesuit team that reached the Breslin Center for the first time in school history.

Immediately following the end of second semester classes, Thomas left the state for Genesis Academy, a prep school in Lynchburg, Virginia. After 5 months of games, and receiving division one offers, Thomas has returned to Michigan this time relocating to North Farmington.

Thomas stated he is back in Michigan for personal family related reasons. He lives in the North Farmington school district, and despite reclassifying in Virginia to the class if 2017, he is a junior now and will be eligible immediately for the Raiders.

North Farmington is currently undefeated at 6-0, led by Cleveland State commit 6’7″ forward Jeron Roger. In addition to Rogers, Thomas reunites with AAU teammate and long time friend Jacob Joubert, a fellow junior and starting point guard.

The pieces are in place for North Farmington this winter on the hardwood. Thomas expects a return to the Breslin Center, and is ecstatic to be back at home.

“I am very excited to be back,” Thomas said, “there’s nothing like home.” “I did not come back because I was home sick, because I missed friends, I came back because of family obligations. “I was doing extremely well at prep school but things happen.”

It’s been a rough first month for Romulus. The Eagles lost their first game of the year in a prime time affair to Chicago Bogan at Detroit Mumford, and then a ten point set back to Detroit Western on the opening day of Romulus’ Winners’ Circle Classic.

Desperate for a signature victory, the Eagles defeated previously unbeaten University of Detroit Jesuit 56-53, a team they had lost to twice last season, including the state quarterfinals.

“This game was huge,” senior center Rio Washington said. “Coming in as the underdogs and playing hard, and finishing the game strong, and finally getting over are hump.”

Washington is listed as Romulus’ tallest player at 6’8.” However, he didn’t start the contest, but finished the game with 15 points, and seven points. Rio’s greatest impact on the game was seen on the defensive end of the floor. He held U of D’s two 6’7″ sophomore forwards to a combined nine points.

“I just was hungry,” Washington added, “and so ready to play the past year.” “They beat us every time so I felt like this was the rematch to get them back.”

Romulus held a brief two point lead at the beginning of the contest, but found themselves trailing throughout much of the first half, and a 25-20 defecit at intermission.

In the third was where Romulus made their surge. Senior guard and Kent State commit Jaylin Walker scored 13 over his team high 23 points in the stanza, including a three pointer to knot the game at 35 with three minutes left. Romulus would take the lead on their very next possession on a Rio Washington basket, a lead the Eagles would never relinquish the rest of the game.

“It was big,” junior point guard D’Angelo Hansbro said of Walker’s performance. “I always tell him he has to be big time for us to win every night, but I expected it out of him.”

U of D junior floor general Cassius Winston did all he could, he scored 15 of his points in the fourth to keep the Cubs in contention. But with Winston the only one getting his shot off consistently in the period, Romulus was able to take away U of D’s role players. Only three players scored more than one point for the Cubs, and were led by Winston with a game high 33 points, compared to Romulus who had five players eclipse the one point mark.

The Eagles missed six team free throws in the final period of action, but a win is a win for Romulus and they will take it any way they can get it now.

“It’s big,” Hansbro added, “gives us a lot of momentum. “We just have to stay hungry and know we are good as any team in the state.”

Romulus improves to 4-2, while the Cubs fall to 5-1.