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In Monday's game, the Rams fell into a 12-5 hole at the end of the first quarter and then spent the rest of the contest making a series of runs at the visiting Panthers. Senior guard Steffanie Anderson buried five triples as part of a career-high 18-point night as Montrose stayed within striking distance throughout the evening.

The Rams put up 16 points in the second quarter to close to within 26-21 at halftime. The teams played to a virtual draw in the second half, but Mt. Morris was able to cash in at the free throw line to hold on to the lead.

"I was pleased with the effort and we competed well in all four quarters," commented Ram mentor Stephanie Miller. "We played a solid game, won the war on the glass and forced them into quite a few turnovers. We just fouled them way too much."

In addition to her 18 points, Anderson pulled down four rebounds. Chelsea Demura scored 7 points and led the battle on the boards by grabbing 13 rebounds. Kayla Setzke tallied 5 points and a whopping 10 steals while Taryn Handyside recorded four markers and eight caroms.

Two days later, Montrose again struggled in the first quarter, falling behind 10-3, before turning in another solid second stanza. The Rams outscored the Blue Devils, 13-10, in the second to narrow the gap to 21-16 at intermission. Montrose went ice-cold in the second half, however, scoring just 11 points as Lake Fenton steadily pulled away for the win.

Handyside turned in a strong performance with seven points, six rebounds and two assists. Demura again patrolled the glass, pulling down 14 rebounds while recording four points and four steals. Beth Hall tallied four markers and eight boards and Setzke chipped in with five points, three assists and two steals.

Ram girls end season with district loss to O-E, 54-26

THOMAS TOWNSHIP - The season came to an abrupt end for Montrose's varsity girls basketball team last Monday as the Rams lost their district-opening game to Ovid-Elsie, 54-26, in post-season action held at Swan Valley High School.

Montrose's loss to the Marauders strongly resembled similar defeats suffered by the Rams throughout much of the second half of the season. Stephanie Miller's squad recently developed a habit of falling behind in the first quarter, rallying with a strong second quarter, and eventually fading at some point during the second half.

Monday's loss followed that same, familiar pattern.

The Rams scrambled on defense, but simply couldn't buy a basket at the other end of the floor en route to sinking into a 13-2 hole at the end of the opening quarter. Then, in the second stanza, Montrose outscored O-E by a 12-11 margin and closed to within six points of the lead on two separate occasions, eventually heading into the locker room at halftime, down 24-14.

The third quarter proved to be the Rams' un-doing as Ovid-Elsie used a 15-7 scoring advantage to take a commanding 39-21 cushion into the final eight minutes of play. From there, the Marauders coasted to victory.

"It wasn't our best game of the year and O-E played a solid game," said Coach Miller. "Our girls didn't take many wins away from this season, but they did take a lot of valuable life lessons and I have nothing but love and respect for such a fine group of girls. I am very proud of this group for all of their efforts, commitments and a world of perseverance."

Two freshmen led the scoring for the Rams in their final game of the season. Kayla Setzke sank eight points to go with three steals and a pair of assists. Taylor Woodall registered seven points and a dozen rebounds. Meanwhile, sophomore Caitlin Groulx had two points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists.

The young Rams finish the season at 1-20.

Hornets win twice to breeze into district final

NEW LOTHROP - Tom Kohlmann's New Lothrop varsity girls basketball team was barely challenged on its path towards the district title game as his Hornets polished off a pair of foes earlier in the week.

The Hornets, who are hosting their own district, put the defensive clamps on Morrice on Monday, limiting the Orioles to just four field goals en route to a 58-9 cakewalk. Two days later, NL laid a 68-23 spanking on Fowler, which entered the contest with a 12-8 record.

Ashley Root led a balanced attack against Morrice, scoring a game-high 11 points to go with four steals. Monica Confer contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds while Kayla Gross and Amber Sammons each scored nine points. Gross had four steals and Sammons dished out three assists. Kayla Knieper and Rachelle Kviz scored six and five points, respectively, for NL which led 32-6 at halftime.

Against Fowler, Gross poured in 23 points, grabbed 6 boards and doled out 3 assists. Root tallied a dozen markers and five helpers while Knieper chipped in with 11 points. Kayla Krupp scored eight points and Confer recorded four points and three assists while holding Fowler's leading scorer, Tonya Thelen, to just five points.

New Lothrop once again had the game in hand by halftime as it carried a 36-13 advantage into the break.

"The girls played a great defensive game on both nights and they continue to do a good job on the defensive boards," praised Kohlmann.

The pair of wins gave New Lothrop a sparkling 21-1 record heading into last Friday's district championship game against Ashley. Look elsewhere in this issue of the Citizen for coverage of that contest.

Lady 'Dawgs pass first district test, edge Sanford-Meridian 47-45

MERRILL - A huge second quarter propelled St. Charles' varsity girls basketball team to a dramatic 47-45 win over Sanford-Meridian in an opening-round game for both teams at the Merrill districts last Monday.

The game's final outcome was in doubt right up to the final buzzer.

"We started off slow again and put ourselves in a hole after the first quarter," commented St. Charles coach Larry Mishler. "The rest of the game we shot over 50% from the floor and made most of our free throws. Still, it got interesting down the stretch."

St. Charles trailed, 15-6, at the end of the opening quarter before bolting past the Mustangs by a 19-6 margin in the second stanza to take a 25-21 lead into intermission. The Lady 'Dawgs used a 13-9 third quarter to up their lead to 38-30 heading into the fourth, and carried what seemed to be a comfortable 12-point cushion into the final four minutes of play.

That's when it got interesting.

"We had the game under control and then we started to throw the ball all over the place. Our turnovers let them back into the game.

Sanford Meridian not only crept back into the game, it had a comeback victory in the hands of its leading scorer, Haley Garcia, who had already put in a game-high 22 points. But Garcia's shot at the buzzer missed the target and St. Charles escaped with the win.

"Kaleigh (Bashans) had a great game, but her defense on Garcia during those last few seconds helped preserve the win," said Mishler.

Bashans led the way for the Lady Bulldogs, scoring 20 points to go with 3 steals and a pair of rebounds. She received plenty of support, most notably from Megan McSweyn and Jordan Mishler, who each scored eight points. McSweyn also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out two assists while Mishler hauled down six caroms and had a pair of assists. Nicoole Apsey contributed six points and three boards, Natalie Trier had three points and four rebounds and Kasey Lenhart canned a couple of points. Lexy Burch hauled in five boards.

Overall, St. Charles connected on 17 of 37 shots from the floor for a healthy 46% average and the Lady 'Dawgs swished 12 of 18 free throws for a 67% median.

"Any win is a good win at this point and we never quit when down early," concluded Coach Mishler. "I am very proud of our effort tonight."

Monday's win advanced St. Charles to Wednesday's semi-final match against St. Louis. Look elsewhere in this issue of the Citizen for coverage of that game.

Hard-nosed effort sends Lady 'Dawgs into district finals

SANFORD - Defense saved the day last Wednesday as St. Charles' varsity girls basketball team earned a berth into the Merrill district championship game with a hard-fought 41-33 win over St. Louis.

"Our defense was very good tonight and if we could have made our lay-ups and free throws, we could have pulled away early," 'Dawg coach Larry Mishler explained. "Rachael Adams scored all 10 of her points in the first half for them to keep it close, but Lexy Burch and Jade Tribfelner shut her down completely in the second half, which led to us holding them to 12 points in the second half."

The Lady Bulldogs needed that type of defensive effort, because the ball was not going in the hole for them on a consistent basis. St. Charles converted 16 of 47 shots from the floor for just 35% and suffered through a dismal night at the free throw line where it made just 8 of 18 charity tosses.

St. Charles held a 14-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and clung to a 22-21 edge at the break. The two teams fought to an 8-8 stand-off in the third quarter before St. Charles pulled away with an 11-4 scoring advantage over the final eight minutes of the game.

St. Charles used a balanced attack on offense, with eight players entering the scoring column.

Kaleigh Bashans led all scorers with 11 points. Megan McSweyn and Tribfelner chipped in with eight points apiece. MCSweyn also logged seven boards and three assists while Tribfelner came up with five steals. Jordan Mishler and Natalie Trier each scored four points, with Mishler also hauling down seven rebounds while Trier grabbed three caroms. Burch tallied two points, two assists and five rebounds. Nicole Apsey and Ashley Wachowicz each added a pair of points.

The balanced offense and solid team defense were the keys to victory, according to Coach Mishler.

"It's nice to get these last two wins (in district play) and head into the district final against Merrill. I think the girls are ready to take it to the next level," concluded Mishler.

St. Charles squared off against the host Vandals on Friday. Look elsewhere in this issue of the Citizen for details on the outcome of that contest.

Back to Battle Creek

Hornet grapplers make return to quarters

MAYVILLE -- New Lothrop's varsity wrestlers had little trouble Wednesday night locking up their eighth straight regional team title.

The Division 4 perennial power dusted of host Mayville 57-12 in the regional semis, then handled Marlette 51-30 in the finals.

"Of course we are excited to be making another tirp down," said New Lothrop coach Jeff Campbell. "The team has been working very hard all year, and we are excited to be representing New Lothrop in Battle Creek once again."

The Hornets will face Bronson at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 29 at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. The Hornets, at 19-7, were ranked seventh in the state at of Feb. 6, while the Vikings, 27-4 are sitting at the No. 10 spot.

"I think this is going to be a battle," Campbell said of his quarterfinal contest. "Bronson is always very tough and well-coached. We have our work cut out for us, but I believe we are capable of getting the job done."

Complete New Lothrop regional results are as follows:

Regional Semifinals

New Lothrop 57, Mayville 12

152 -- Tom Wenzlick (NL) p. 2:58 Mark Lieber (M); 160 -- Kyle Trent (NL) 5-1 dec. over Jake Simpson (M); 171 -- Mark Confer (NL) p. 4:50 Dylan Schenk (M); 189 -- Travis Timmons (NL) p. 5:45 Eric Sansote (M); 215 -- Ethan Bishop (NL) 17-0 dec. over Nate Richardson (M); 285 -- Jullian Williams (M) p. 1:52 Donny Dawes (NL); 103 -- Corey O'Kelly (M) 7-5 dec. over Justin Krupp (NL); 112 -- Blake Birchmeier (NL) won by forfeit; 119 -- Jesse Lorencz (NL) 11-5 dec. over Robbie Forys (M); 125 -- Allen Krupp (NL) p. 1:47 Maxx Lieber (M); 130 -- Ben Burtch (NL) p. 1:47 Kyle Perkins (M); 135 -- Kelly Krupp (NL) 18-4 dec. over Lee Tippett (M); 140 -- Taylor Copes (NL) p. 2:32 Donny Bennett (M); 145 -- Derrick Parhan (M) 15-14 dec. over Luke Dawes (NL).

Regional Finals

New Lothrop 51, Marlette 30

160 -- Tom Wenzlick (NL) p. :38 Adam Powell (M); 171 -- Kyle Trent (NL) p. :18 Lond Jochain (M); 189 -- Marc Confer (NL) p. :10 Caleb Karakas (M); 215 -- Donny Dawes (NL) p. 1:19 Patrick Dischinger (M); 285 -- Ethan Bishop (NL) p. 1:08 Conner Collins (M); 103 -- Justin Krupp (NL) 12-5 dec. over Justin Harris (M); 112 -- Blake Birchmeier (NL) won by forfeit.; 119 -- Allen Krupp (NL) p. 2:28 Travis Noble (M); 125 -- Robert Fingerle (M) p. 2:50 Jesse Lorencz (NL); 130 -- Jonathan Hayward (M) won by forfeit; 135 -- Taylor Copes (NL) p. 5:06 Tristan Armstrong (M); 140 -- Luke Dawes (NL) p. 1:20 Jordan Hayward (M); 145 -- Joel Swenson (M) p. 1:53 Jacob Emmendorfer (NL); 152 -- Tyler Steinkopf (M) p. 1:56 Joe Lane (NL).

Chesaning cheer gals take third at own invitational

DEB MILLER

The Tri-County Citizen

CHESANING - The Chesaning High School gymnasium rocked with excitement and energy Saturday, February 16 as teams from across the state took to the floor for the 2008 Chesaning Union Competitive Cheer Invitational.

The all day event included junior high, freshman, JV, and varsity divisions, with teams representing more than 30 school districts.

In Division 4 varsity action, the Chesaning cheer gals took third place with a total score of 717.618.

The Indian squad posted scores by round of 213.000 for the first round of competition, 217.618 for the second round, and 287.000 for the third round, with no penalty points.

Chippewa Hills took first place in the division with a score of 738.080, (228.000, 219.080, 291.000), while Grosse Ile placed second with a score of 735.500 (221.000, 211.500, 303.000).

The remainder of the field included, Otsego, fourth, with a total score of 709.336 (217.000, 206.336, 286.000), Notre Dame, fifth, with a total score of 687.540 (208.000, 197.540, 282.000), Richmond, sixth, with a total score of 680.740 (207.000, 205.240, 276.500, -8 penalty points in round two), Goodrich, seventh, with a total score of 637.926 (192.500, 178.926, 266.500), Swan Valley, eighth, with a total score of 552.340 (178.500, 160.840, 221.000, -8 penalty points in round two).

In Division 3 varsity action Pewamo-Westphalia took first place with a total score of 760.174 (229.500, 226.674, 304.000), Michigan Center took second place with a total score of 712.518 (219.500, 206.518, 286.500), and Brown City took third place with a total score of 678.635 (214.500, 191.635, 272.500).

The remainder of the field included Merrill, fourth, with a total score of 649.292 (193.500, 186.792, 269.000), Ithaca, fifth, with a total score of 627.923 (195.000, 170.923, 262.000), and St. Charles, sixth, with a total score of 605.414 (177.000, 180.914, 255.500, -8 penalty points in the third round).

The competitive cheer regional competition is slated for this Saturday, March 1 in Merrill.

The Chesaning squad, which is under the direction of first year coach Jeanna Morrison, consists of members Felisha Nathan, Tiffany Frederick, Crystal Lycka, Audreanna Brown, Taylor Gohn, Tonya LaBelle, Kurstin Kaiser, Ashley Desonia, Jalinda Chrysler, Kristin Wilson, Ashley Boucher, Ashley Lorencz, Randi Espinoza, Bree Cooper, Shelby Gross, and Brandi Frederick.

The St. Charles squad, which is coached by Donna Schantz and Janee Gerding, includes Morgan McSweyn, Trisha Fiting, Sara Mead, Kelly Marshall, Camille LeFevre, Heather Flattery, Stephanie Schultz, Sara Slivinski, Katlyn Hare, Janessa Wooley, Ali Robinson-Reeder, Ashley Spannagel, Gina Hafner, Elysabeth Kushion, Ali Weisbarth, and Samantha Hamilton.

Twenty-one area wrestlers advance to individual regionals

With the first weekend of individual state wrestling out of the way, 21 area grapplers adanced to the regional competition, which was to be held yesterday.

In Division 3, Montrose qualified six wrestlers, while Chesaning advanced two at Williamston. In Division 4 at New Lothrop, the host Hornets had nine placers, while St. Charles fielded four.

DIVISION 3 - WILLIAMSTON

The Rams were led by Brad Boone and Cody Wray. Wray finished as champion at 125 lbs. by defeating Durand's Eric Telford 6-4 in the finals. Brad Boone posted a 14-3 decision over Joe Stark of Onsted in the 189 lb. finals. Wray is 47-5 while Boone is 35-5.

Brandon Boone finished second for Montrose at 171 lbs. He lost 11-3 to Onsted's Ryan Pieper in the finals. Brad Smith also took second for the Rams at 112 lbs. He dropped a 20-4 technical fall to Roger Wildmo of Durand.

Corey Madden and Trevor Williams were third place finishers for the Rams. Madden won the 130 lb. consolation finals with a 7-5 decision over Chad Snyder of Stockbridge. Williams pinned Chesaning's Jaxon Wirgau in 1:25 of the 160 lb. consolation bout.

Chad Reiber was Chesaning's other placer, capturing the 135 lb. title with a 15-2 major decision over Glen Sible of Williamston. Reiber is 45-1 on the year.

DIVISION 4 - NEW LOTHROP

The Hornets dominated their own district competition with eight weight class champions.

At 103 lbs., Justin Krupp was champ with a 10-2 decision over Mayville's Corey O'Kelly. The Hornet freshman is 40-12 on the season.

Blake Birchmeier pinned Mayville's Robbie Forys in 3:45 of the 112 lb. title match for the Hornets. Birchmeier is 37-10 on the year.

At 119 lbs., Allen Krupp was a 3-2 winner over Marlette's Jon Hayward in the championship match. A. Krupp is 46-2 on the year.

Kelly Krupp posted a 4-3 win over Andrew McCarthy of Bendle in the 130 lb. championship match. K. Krupp is 37-16 on the season.

Tom Wenzlick was an 8-2 winner over Sandusky's Bernie Marx at 152 lbs. Wenzlick had a 38-13 record.

Kyle Trent was a 7-3 winner over Mayville's Jake Simpson in the 160 lb. final match. Trent is 36-13 on the year.

At 171 lbs., Marc Confer was a 6-4 winner Erik Lawrence of Valley Lutheran in the finals. Confer is 38-14 on the year.

Ethan Bishop improved to 43-6 on the season with a 6-2 victory over Nouvel Catholic Central's James Murtha in the 215 lb. finals.

Also qualifying for the Hornets was Taylor Copes, who lost 8-3 to Chris Truckner of St. Charles in the 135 lb. consolation finals.

For the Bulldogs, Kyle Anderson led the way, finishing second at 125 lbs. to Mayville's Lee Tippett. Tippett got the pin in 2:18.

Joining Truckner with a third place finish was Zach Weisbarth. He defeated Mayville's Derrick Parham 9-4 in the 145 lb. consolation finals.

Jake Nagel finished fourth for St. Charles. He dropped a 4-2 decision to Andrew Baumgartner of Carrollton in the 130 lb. consolation finals.

Watch next week's Citizen for individual regional results.

Chesaning Parks and Recreation Saturday Morning Soccer

CHESANING -- Chesaning Parks and Recreation will be offering Saturday Morning Soccer again this year for primary through sixth grade students. Games will be played outside this spring at the Line Street School fields.

Flyers and registration forms will be available at each school. Forms will also be available at the Frank's Supermarket bulletin boards.

The deadline for registration is Monday, March 10. Forms can be turned in to the Chesaning Middle School office.

The cost if $20 per player, or $25 per family. There will be a $5 late fee for anyone registering after the March 10 deadline, and no forms will be accepted after 5 p.m. on March 12.

Games will begin on March 29.

For more information about registration, call Dave Richardson at (989) 845-2769, or Cindy Weisenberger at (989() 845-6972.

Moms, dads, big brothers and big sisters who are interested in joining the coaching staff should contact Cindy Weisenberger at (989) 845-6972.