Our matchup of the week featured Ann Arbor Huron and Ann Arbor Skyline in boys basketball. The River Rats looked to continue their surge after ripping off eight straight wins and 11 of their last 12. On a Feb. 9 senior night, the Rats looked to make the most of their last home game.
“[My goal] is to win the state chip,” senior forward Justin Latham said after the game. “That’s all I want.”
At 6’6”, Latham provides a calming veteran presence and versatility to a cohesive group. If Huron wants to make their run at a state title, Latham is as valuable as any player to bring an edge to their squad.
“Being the defender and leader I am, and being there vocally,” Latham said regarding his role. “I cheer for my teammates the same way they do for me, make big plays and just feed off of their energy.”
Led by second-year coach Mo Kasham, the River Rats faced a lowly Skyline team with an overall record of 8-7 and 4-5 within the Southeastern Conference (SEC). These two teams had already met on Jan. 19, where the River Rats cruised to a 63-50 win. Boasting a 14-2 record and ranked 8th in the state of Michigan, they understand the importance of maintaining level-headedness and how crucial it is to their success.
“We’ve been riding a nice win streak,” Latham said. “We need to keep riding that momentum and energy by working hard in practice and keep rewarding the guys who work right. During the first half of the season we weren’t really connected but after hard work and practice, trips and team bonding, we really became one unit.”
With nine seniors, Huron’s experience gives them an edge over the more inexperienced, younger groups. The feel for each other’s games is irreplaceable and they rely on the trust they have in one another to carry the team.
“Our chemistry is amazing,” Latham said. “I love these guys. I play for them, they play for me.”
After a slow start, the Rats jumped on the Eagles, leading by double digits after the first quarter with scoring punches provided by senior forward Jackson Keefer and junior guard Macari Miller. Skyline had made consistent efforts, even changing to a zone defense, trying anything they could to slow down the River Rats, but it was to no avail as they powered to their 9th straight win and a 16-2 record with a 58-42 victory.
“Just making the right reads,” guard Cayden Cousins stated on what they can improve. “Taking the right angles on defense and making sure we keep our opponent in front of us and not foul too much.”
“Rebounding and closing halves out better,” Latham said. “I could have been more aggressive at some points, I was over-passing a bit but I still got guys open.”
Four days later, Huron suffered a crushing loss off of a go-ahead corner three by the Pioneers. They had an opportunity to answer, but came up short, losing 54-53.
Skyline moved to 5-6 in the SEC with a 72-58 win over Dexter.
The Eagles will go into Monroe with a 10-9 record and attempt to carry their momentum through the end of the season.
To round out the month, the River Rats will go on the road three times (Lincoln, Saline and River Rouge) to solidify their position in the state tournament and put themselves in the best position to achieve their goal — a state title.
In the weeks other action:
The Pioneer boys basketball team split their games, with a 59-50 win over Skyline and a tough 67-49 loss to Saline.
Looking at the girls’ week, Huron suffered their 13th and 14th straight losses with a loss at Bedford and a 40-30 loss at home to Skyline, moving them to 1-15 on the season with their sole win against Glenn in the 2nd game of the season. The Pioneer girls team went 1-1 in their week with a 52-28 victory at Skyline and a defeat at home to Saline. The Skyline girls team snapped their five-game losing streak in Huron, winning 40-30.
On the ice, the Huron boys team tied a highly scoring 8-8 contest at home to Cabrini but would then fall to Saline later in the week. Pioneer’s boys team extended their losing streak to 3 with a loss to Grosse Ile, they still sit firmly above .500 with an 11-8-2 record on the season. After a rough middle-third of the season, Skyline advanced to 11-10-1 with a 6-4 win over Bedford.
The Huron swim team finished 33rd out of 83 teams in the MISCA meet in Grand Rapids, scoring 140.7 points. With an adjusted score of 118.4 – 42.1, the Pioneers easily defeated Bedford. The Skyline boys team narrowly lost to Saline in their only contest of the week.
