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This year's team is led by Marlette's Kelsey Hall, earning First Team honors for the third consecutive season. A Class C All-State selection by the Associated Press, the 6'2" senior center scored over 1100 points in her career with the Lady Raiders. Hall averaged nearly 13.5 points, seven rebounds and two blocks per game this season. She shot nearly 54% from the floor.

"She knew what to expect this year because she had been double and triple-teamed since her freshman year. Because of that, she has become a much better passer and has so much floor awareness," remarked Fred Mroczek, Marlette coach. "She was a dominating force on defense. We pretty much contained other team's big girls all year long because of Kelsey's presence."

Also earning her third All-County selection is Marlette's Jenna Lange. The 6'1" senior guard/forward showed tremendous versatility by being able to play out front on offense but also being another presence inside when needed. She scored over 900 points in her four-year career on the varsity. This season, Lange led the team in assists with 84 and averaged nearly 11 points and six rebounds a contest. Lange, a 42% percent shooter overall, showed long-range ability, clicking at nearly 38% on three-point tries.

Coach Mroczek commented: "She scored over 900 points, but more impressive is that she's had over 300 assists in her career. She's a very unselfish player. She's always thinking about the team and getting the ball to the open teammate. That's a sign of a great leader."

One of two sophomores chosen on the All-County Team this year is Sandusky's Marissa DeMott. A repeat choice, the 5'8" guard, is a phenomenal free throw shooter and likely set a new State record for percentage in a season by making 118 of 129 from the stripe for 91.5% this winter. The second leading scorer in the county, DeMott averaged 16.5 points a game and made 46 triples. She also totaled 95 assists, 95 steals, 108 rebounds and 28 blocks this season for the Lady Redskins.

"She came on strong at the end of the season," noted Al DeMott, Sandusky coach and Marissa's father. "She faced a lot of box-and-one defenses that made here work really hard. I thought she played well defensively, too. She played a lot more aggressively on offense and defense this year."

The second sophomore is Brown City's Kristen Greene, who was also All-County as a freshman. The 5'7" guard was one of the leading scorers in the area, averaging 15.8 points a game, and drew plenty of attention from opposing defenses, but her ability to move well without the ball gives her more opportunities for open looks. Despite her size, she was good under the boards, averaging 8.1 rebounds per contest, and she also was a good free throw shooter, clicking at nearly 71%.

"She had a phenomenal year. She did everything," praised Coach Cindy Burton of Brown City. "Even when she was not scoring, she was rebounding and playing defense. She put a lot of extra time in during the off-season and it shows. One week after our season was done, she was back in the gym. She wants to improve."

Cassy VanConant has had a terrific three-year stint on the Sandusky varsity and has been part of two league championships and three district titles. The 6'2" senior center did not quite have the numbers she had a season before, but she also was more of a target from opposing defenses this season. This winter, VanConant averaged nearly 11 points and six rebounds a contest. She had 34 blocked shots and shot at a 48% clip.

Coach DeMott commented, "The thing that she picked up on was passing. She saw a lot of double and triple-teams...and she ended up with 35 assists. She has a good left and right hand hook that makes her very hard to defend. We've had some real good post players over my years here, and she's one of the best I've had."

The County News' choice for Coach of the Year is Fred Mroczek of Marlette. The Lady Raiders had a bit of a slow start this season because of some nagging injuries, several girls playing an extended season in volleyball, and some rugged competition. Early in January, the Lady Raiders were 2-1 in the GTC East and 5-4 overall. They finished as East champions at 10-2 and were 15-5 on the regular season. Mroczek structured a scheme that brought out his team's abilities in the half-court, both offensively and defensively.

"I knew our league was going to be a real battle. It was a real shock for us to sew it up before the last game," said Mroczek. "Night in and night out, it was a battle. The league this year was one of the best ever, if not the best."

Mroczek credited stability in the program because of long commitments from assistants. "Cathy Storm has been my assistant and JV coach for the last 10 years. Si Tanton has been here eight years as freshmen coach. They do an outstanding job with the kids. I don't have to worry about a lot of things by the time those kids get to me." He added, "And, with Terry Reid (varsity assistant and former head coach), on the bench, he gives us years of experience."

Mroczek said the rest of the credit goes to the players. "We had a very solid commitment from the girls. They've been very competitive and, as a coach, that's all you can ask for."

Second Team

One of the most aggressive defenders around this season was Michelle Burgess of Brown City. The 5'4" junior guard was a glue-like defender in the man-to-man with her good all around quickness. Burgess also ran the point for the Lady Green Devils most of the time. This winter, the second-year varsity player averaged 8.6 points and 3.8 assists per game.

Coach Burton commented, "She was a floor leader. Defensively, she was really good this year. She anticipated really well. She works hard on her game and is really focused."

Ashley Szymanski of Deckerville utilized her athleticism to enhance her aggressive style of play for the Lady Eagles this season. The 5'9" senior forward was another versatile performer that played inside, but also could move to the perimeter very effectively. She led her team in scoring with a 9.5 points per game average and also grabbed nearly six rebounds per contest. In addition, Szymanski totaled 22 steals and 12 blocks.

"She stepped up and played well inside for us this year," said Pat Oswald, Deckerville coach. "The surprising thing was that she also could step outside and hit the three, and that opened up her game. She also dominated our rebounding enough to get the ball out for us."

The emergence of Kendra Smith made a good Marlette team even better. A strong 6'1" post player, the Lady Raider senior played so well inside that it allowed Coach Mroczek more options offensively and defensively with Hall and Lange. Smith led Marlette in rebounding with nearly eight a game, scored over five points a game, and she was tied for second in assists (41).

"She was just a solid inside player," said Coach Mroczek. "She became a scoring threat that other teams had to respect. But, she really helped our defensive play because she shored up the inside, allowing Kelsey and Jenna to extend out and make people shoot over them."

On a team that struggled with some consistency, particularly on offense, this season, Erin Lamb of Cros-Lex proved to be a very versatile performer. The 5'11" senior forward, an excellent all-around athlete, was a leader in almost every category for the Lady Pioneers, averaging 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 1.5 blocks a game. She also dished out over two assists a contest.

"The overall contributions she made were a very critical part of our team. We required her to do a lot for our team and she stepped up," lauded C-L coach Darren Bongard. "Most of her career she played the two or three spot. Out of necessity, she went to No. 4 and No. 5 this year. But, later in the season.... when we faced full-court pressure, her ball handling helped us immensely."

A difference-maker down the stretch for Sandusky this season was senior Monica Chambers. The 5'6" guard did not get as much playing time a year ago because of the tremendous depth the Lady ÔSkins had in their 23-1 season, but she stepped into a starting role well this winter. Chambers picked up her scoring in the second half of the season and averaged over six points a contest, shooting 39% from beyond the arc. She also had 61 assists and 36 steals for the year.

"She had a good, solid year," said Coach DeMott. "Earlier in the season, she didn't score much but she really came around. She was one of the best defensive players in the league. Actually, she's an underrated player Ð she doesn't make a lot of mistakes and she could make big plays when we needed it."

A fierce defensive competitor, Marlette's Catherine Distelrath was a third year varsity player for Mroczek. The 5'6" guard was also a three-point threat on offense. She led the team in steals with 21 this winter and also averaged six points and two assists a game.

"She was our defensive player Ð a very feisty competitor," noted Mroczek on Distelrath. "Usually she had the challenge of guarding the other teams top outside player. She played out there with a lot of heart and determination."