Advertisement

For the first time in the State of Michigan, boys and girls will share the hardwood spotlight and hoops fans will have a chance to take in a basketball nearly every night of the school week until March.

In Sanilac County, the Croswell-Lexington and Brown City boys hoops teams will be out to try to defend their 2006-07 league championships, but both face a tough challenge in doing so.

The Pioneers of Cros-Lex help tip-off the boys campaign this Monday, December 3 with a non-league game against Warren Fitzgerald from the Macomb Area Conference. Other opening games for Sanilac teams are: Sandusky hosting Yale on Monday; Brown City staying home to face Yale, Deckerville entertaining Lakers, and, Marlette playing Owen-Gage at Raider Pavilion on Wednesday evening; then, on Friday, December 7, Peck and CPS begin their schedule by jumping right into NCTL action Ð the Tigers staying home against Akron-Fairgrove ands the Pirates playing host to Port Hope.

Veteran Cros-Lex coach Don Roberts will have the task of replacing 12 seniors from a team that ran the table in the regular season last winter, finishing 20-0 and capturing a fourth straight BWAC title. The Pioneers went on to add a District title and finish 23-1.

C-L, typically, plays strong man defense under Roberts' direction. His concern, particularly following recent scrimmages against Port Huron and North Branch, is finding enough offense. All of the top scorers are gone from the last two years, including All-BWAC and All-County players like Garrett Grundman and Karl Kaufman.

"We didn't play with a whole lot of confidence (offensively)," said Roberts about the scrimmages. "Everything is a step faster on the varsity level. Even for a team like we've had the last couple years, it took those guys some time to adjust when they came up."

Fitzgerald is coached by former NBA player Joe Kopicki, who graduated from Fitzgerald, then the University of Detroit and went on to play three years in the NBA and several more years in Europe.

"From what I understand, they're pretty athletic," noted Roberts. "And, I've heard they have a 6'8" transfer (Kopicki's son).... and some good returning players and some other transfers from the city." Kopicki was an assistant coach at Warren DeLaSalle last winter.

"We just want to be competitive. When you open with a strong team you get to gauge how far along we are from being the team we want to be. But, no matter what happens, this will be a good experience."

The Pioneers' two senior captains Ð Derek Sheridan and Nick Lazurka, both guards, have the most experience among five returning seniors. Jacob Munger (6'6") will be counted on to be a factor in the middle.

Roberts wants to use the early part of the season to get ready for BWAC play, which doesn't get started until Jan. 8 at Armada.

Coach Tony Burton, beginning his 21st campaign at Brown City, has some rebuilding to do, also. However, not one coach in the GTC East is counting out the Green Devils in the title chase. BC shared the title with Harbor Beach last year, going 10-2 in the division and also winning 18 of 22 games overall.

Burton has one full-time starter back in senior Donovan Ogboh. He is quick to point out that he lost a four-year varsity player (Justin McPhail), two more two-year starters, and a physical back-up post player.

"Nobody has lost as much as we have," remarked Burton. "I'd like to see who can match that." He also knows the winning tradition at BC is expected to continue in the eyes of the rest of the East coaches.

The opener with Yale, plus the home game later in the week against Imlay City, will bring some more insight to his team's potential this winter.

"It'll be a matter of finding out what else we need to work on," said Burton. "Hopefully, we will be competitive in these games. It'll be an indication of where we're at."

Ogboh, a 6'2" forward, came on very strong a year ago and proved he could rebound and score inside. Juniors A. J. Burton (6'1"), the coach's son, and Jack McPhail (6'2") will handle much of the backcourt duties. Both can create shooting mismatches with their size. Senior Jon Muxlow (6'3"), who missed part of last year with a broken arm, will add some size underneath.

"Yale will be vastly improved," noted Burton, "and Imlay City will really be improved over last year, from what I understand."

Brown City does not begin title defense in the GTC East until Tues., Dec. 18 at home against rival Marlette.