Detroit Edison 16-10 vs. Maple City Glen Lake 24-2
Glen Lake has a basketball history, but the most recent championships were 40 years ago. Edison has an abbreviated history, last year losing to Flint Beecher in the semifinals and taking it another step this week with a semifinal defeat of Grand Rapids Covenant Christian.
Glen Lake had only three players score in the semifinal win over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. For the season that trio of 6-5 senior Cade Peterson, 6-4 junior Xander Okerlund and 6-5 sophomore Reece Hazelton average 40.3 points per game. Okerlund and Hazelton have confidence and basketball IQ that belie their ages and aren’t afraid to miss some shots. Peterson is playing his last organized basketball game as he heads to Grand Valley State as a quarterback. In the semifinals he sometimes seemed to forget that SMCC had a 6-8 D1 shot-blocker, CJ Haut. Peterson can’t make the same error with DEPSA’s 6-8 Deante Johnson or it could be a dunk going the other way.
Okerlund, Hazelton and Peterson scored all 62 of the Lakers’ points against St. Mary’s. One would think they’ll need the rare open three-pointer, put-back or steal and layup somewhere along the way Saturday from someone else, to have a chance. Edison has a fourth outstanding player, 6-5 junior Brian Taylor, which Glen Lake can’t match.
6-5 senior Gary Solomon is shooting only 10-of-34 in two semifinals appearances for DEPSA. Even if he continues to struggle with the shooting background at MSU, he has the athleticism and motor to make game-changing plays. Edison point guard Pierre Mitchell is old hand at this making three trips to Breslin between Detroit Loyola and his former school. This is the first time he hasn’t run into Beecher in East Lansing. If Glen Lake can’t keep him out of the lane it may spell trouble for the Northerners. Mitchell needs to go get the ball in key moments as Edison made some bad score/clock decisions in the semis and if that happens against a Glen Lake team capable of keeping it close, the Lakers have the shooters to pull the upset.
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