JACKSON – You’ve probably heard from time to time about which teams are trending in the right direction.
Usually this means a team that has been playing well for a few weeks and looks poised to get better from here on out, but this time we're talking about a team with things trending in the right direction. to a larger scale. We will move forward with the season with the aim of further improving next year and the year after.
So here's a Jackson area boys basketball team that took a step forward this year and looks set to be even stronger next season.
The Titans won their first regional title in 11 years, and it was with a number of underclassmen leading the way. That came after a 14-win season in 2023 and several years of not being able to get over the hump in district play.
Senior Kasen Burgess will be a difficult player to replace next season, but the Titans do have Luke Tropea, who leads the team in scoring and assists, and freshman Landon Burgess, who averaged just shy of 10 points per game. It will bring back a solid core in Hampton. .
It might seem strange to say that a Cardinals team that just missed out on a series of district championships is on a roll, but the Cardinals have lost just four games (two to Lumen Christi, one each to Onsted and Napoleon). ) only lost, and it was because of a young roster.
Tre and Travis Collins are great pieces the Cardinals can build around in the future, Hadin Hinkle is a great jack-of-all-trades type player who can play whatever role is needed on a given night, and Jaden Watson is just starting to emerge. be. dominant player.
The Spartans went from 1-22 to 15-8 in one season, ending 2023 with a 19-game losing streak, losing the November opener to Leslie (in overtime) and winning seven of their next eight games. It got to the point where it was within range. They defeated Big 8 champion Concord, who they played on February 16th, by two points.
The Spartans' stay in the postseason was short, but it had a lot to do with which district they ended up in, with a tie against Cascade Conference champion Napoleon in the district semifinals.
Part of that turnaround was freshman guard Jake Kregel, who joined the team right away.
The Golden Eagles remained in contention for the Cascade West championship until the end, but fell two games behind Hanover Horton.
A big factor in that success is Columbia Central's star-studded junior class, with Derek Sanders averaging 18.7 points per game and a player opposing defenses must keep an eye on.
But he has talented players around him like Nick Richardson, Andrew Hosmer, Tyler Ladd, and Jack Gorton, with Sanders' ability to get to the rim from the perimeter and Gorton's ability to break through the low post. offers a powerful combination of players.
Jordan Tingle's era with the Panthers began last season with an 8-14 record, near the bottom of the Interstate 8 standings, and a 36-point loss to Tecumseh in the district opener. Western went on to go 17-7 from there, clinching the conference title and defeating Northwest by three games in the district semifinals, before losing to Aiden Davis and the Onsted Wildcats by two games.
The Panthers won't have to worry about facing the Mr. Basketball finalist in district play next year at Wright State University, which will have 3-point threat Maverick Hammond back next season.
The Comets went 12-11 last year and lost to Jonesville in the district final, but this year they went 16-9 and defeated Jonesville to win the district championship.
Replacing Logan Blackledge won't be easy, but even if one 1,000-point scorer graduates, another 1,000-point scorer will return along with Luke Soper, who can score from almost anywhere on the floor. .
Hanover Horton will also return Jeremiah Linabery, who was a strong presence in the post, and Jack Wooster, who came up with clutch baskets at times, including in the 10-point district final against Jonesville.
