The 6-9 forward started the summer with the Michigan Mustangs but ended it with Team Detroit.  Pitchford played a key role in helping Team Detroit win the RBK Summer Championship in Las Vegas.  Through out the month of July Pitchford drew national interest from schools such as UCLA, Minnesota, Penn State, Dayton, and Florida International.

The 5-7 All-State point guard has just landed back in Saginaw from an official visit and the gym rat wasted no time getting back to work as he went straight from the airport to an Arthur Hill open gym.  Jones received an offer from USC before he left for his official visit but he had to see for himself that Sothern Cal was the right fit for him.  “I left Thursday night for the official visit and made my decision before I came home,” states Jones.  “The visit was fun, I saw the campus and hung out with the team, I played in an open gym, and went to a football game, I had a real good time out there,” added Jones.

Two things really stood out for USC for the Saginaw guard.  “Their Head Coach Kevin O’Neil was the one who recruited me.  An assistant made the first call but after that it was all Coach O’Neil,” says Jones.

The other reason why Jones chose USC was the opportunity to play right away and possibly start in the PAC-10.  “They will only have one other point guard on the roster when I come in.  Coach said I will have be able to start and play 30-32 minutes a game as a freshman,” said Jones.

Pookie claims he never trimmed his list of schools and that his recruitment was wide open but did mention he choose USC over schools such as South Florida, St. Bonaventure, Baylor, and Duquesne.

Jones will now enjoy his time in Saginaw as the clock for departure to California has already started to tick away.  “I can now just enjoy my senior year now that this recruitment stuff is done- I can focus on school and winning games this season,” states Jones.  And that should cause worries for Pookie’s Saginaw Valley League opponents as well as the rest of the state.

Winner more than likely wins the Tri-Valley Central.  I like O-E’s chances with Chris Robinson in the backfield. 

NGS PICK: Ovid-Elsie 35-26

9. Brighton at #6 Grand Blanc

Right when G-Blanc thinks they have the conference wrapped up comes the emergence of Brighton.  But one again too much Bobcat offense.   

NGS PICK: Grand Blanc 40-28

8. #36 Marshall at #37 Jackson Lumen Christi

Jackson has been on a roll since being embarrassed on opening night.  They’ve outscored their opponents 133-16 in three games, and as good as Marshall is I don’t see Christi slowing down.   

NGS PICK: Jackson Lumen Christi 21-7

7. #38 Southfield at #26 Rochester Adams

Both teams are trying to keep pace with Harrison in the conference standings.  I like Southfield’s ground attack but they’ll struggle to run the ball against Adam’s defense.   

NGS PICK: Adams 31-26

6. #9 Ann Arbor Pioneer at #47 Temperance Bedford

Southeastern conference red championship is on the line in this game. Pioneer has been in the spotlight since week 1 win over Inkster while Bedford raised some eyebrows by stomping Saline last week.   

NGS PICK: Pioneer 24-21

5. #35 Dearborn Edsel Ford at #18 Dearborn Fordson

Ford could easily win this game, especially without Baquer Sayed suiting up for Fordson.  But I’m still going with Fordson…I think their defense will get the job done.    

NGS PICK: Fordson 28-14

4. Inkster at #23 Highland Park

Highland Park is legit and plays hungry.  Inkster finally got in the win column and is playing with desperation.  Two teams that play fast.  This should be a good one.      

NGS PICK: Inkster 26-18

3. #12 Midland at #17 Mt. Pleasant

Saginaw Valley crown up for grabs in this one as these two are the clear favorites.  Midland got a scare last week against Bay City Central…how will they bounce back? Mt. Pleasant seems to get better each week.      

NGS PICK: Mt. Pleasant 32-21

2. #11 Grand Haven at #3 Rockford

Grand Haven is the surprise team this year with impressive, but close, wins over Muskegon and Holland West Ottawa.  For the third straight week Grand Haven will face an undefeated power and that toll will finally catch up to them.   

NGS PICK: Rockford 35-13

1. #4 Macomb Dakota at #1 Sterling Heights Stevenson

I’m expecting a shootout but not sure if Stevenson will be able to keep pace because their defense has been suspect lately.  Rick Bye is a heck of a coach for Stevenson but Dakota’s Mike Giannone always has his boy’s prepared for the big game.   

NGS PICK: Dakota 38-36

Country Day is coming off two disappointing losses in the State Championship but the Yellowjackets have loaded back up and are in high hopes that this could be their year. But first they will have to qualify for the playoffs and they might be easier said than done with the tough schedule Country Day has put together, making this a must win game even though it’s week 1.  Seaholm also has to endure a tough OAA-White division and they too need the early season victory.   

NGS PICK: Country Day 28-14

9. Farmington at Southfield  

Southfield is returning after a great season last year that saw the Blue Jays advance to the semi-finals.  Southfield twice topped a young Farmington team last year and even ended Farmington’s season in the playoffs.  Farmington is out for revenge now as they return their starting quarterback Matt Craven and running back Neno Jones, who were both sophomores last year.    

NGS PICK: Farmington 24-14

8. Midland High at Saginaw High

Midland sent three players to the BIG 10 last year but is still considered a state power as the Free Press ranks them #8 in the state.  But I’m not sure if the Chemics truly want to see Saginaw High so early in the season.  The Trojans have their most talented team since the days of Charles Rogers and Lamarr Woodley with skilled players like Greg Hayes, DeAnthony Arnett and DeParris Gordon.  And there isn’t a better time for Saginaw to get their football program back to respectability under new head coach Gary Lee with a big time upset in week 1.

NGS PICK: Saginaw 36-31

7. Saginaw Nouvel vs. Flint Powers

FINALLY! I think the Pope got involved to make sure Mid-Michigan’s top two Catholic schools finally clashed helmets.  Nouvel is known for their spread offense but Powers has the athletes to slow them down- most notably brothers Pat and Danny O’Brien.

NGS PICK: Powers 27-24   

6. Hudsonville vs. Lake Orion at Eastern Michigan

 Hudsonville has one of Michigan’s top football programs and competes year in and year out in one of the state’s toughest conferences, the OK-Red.  Lake Orion is coming off a season where they advanced to the Division 1 State Championship.  Lake Orion sophomore quarterback Sean Charette returns with some experience and running backs Kim Bruce and Marques Stevenson will head the run game for the Dragons.   

NGS PICK: Lake Orion 24- 21

5. Inkster vs. Ann Arbor Pioneer at Eastern Michigan     

Inkster has the toughest schedule in the state and is a favorite to win a state title but like Country Day, they first need to qualify for the playoffs.  This is one of the better Pioneer team’s offensively and they should be able to keep pace with the star studded cast of Inkster but in the end there will be too much Devin Gardner.

NGS PICK: Inkster 42-31   

4. Lansing Sexton at Holt

This game could easily go down to the wire and turn into a classic as both teams are stacked top to bottom and should have successful seasons.  Taurean Jackson returns at QB for the Big Reds but moving the chains against Holt might be a tough task as Holt’s defense could be one of the state’s best. 

NGS PICK: Holt 17-10

3. Clarkston at Rochester Adams

Another big time OAA match-up! These teams are evenly matched up but last year it was Adams that owned the experience factor.  This year it belongs to Clarkston who looked strong on both sides of the ball in the scrimmage last week. Dakota Bender (RB) and Tyler Scarlett (QB) give the Wolves a nice 1-2 punch.     

NGS PICK: Clarkston 35-21

2. Rockford at Davison

Make sure you get there early for this game because both communities love their football!  The defending champs, Rockford, need to fill some voids offensively but look for a hard nosed defense to lead them through the season.  Four year starter Joe Stefanski returns at linebacker for the Rams.  Davison has a new head coach in Jake Emmendorfer but winning is nothing new to him plus Davison returns Jake “The Snake” Thompson to lead the way under helm.     

NGS PICK: Rockford 13-10

1. Orchard Lake St. Marys at East Grand Rapids

 These two schools have quickly built a rivalry dating back to the 5OT State Championship game two years ago.  But Last year St. Mary’s took the trip west only to get embarrassed.  Is it time for revenge as arm slinger Robert Bolden has fine tooled him mechanics and seems ready to lead his Eaglets. Both teams have D-1 talent all over the field.

NGS PICK: OLSM 31- 21

**Recruitment has heated up for two more Country Day Yellowjackets as guards Kenny Knight and Lee Bailey both took an unofficial visit to Dayton on Monday.  Knight and Bailey were given a tour of the campus and arena by Head Coach Brian Gregory and assistant coach Cornell Mann.  After the tour both players participated in an open gym with the Dayton players.  It was reported to NGS that both players played well in the open run and shot the ball extremely well.  “We had a great time, it was really fun, and the coaches were great and treated us real good,” stated Knight.

**Brandan Kearney and Percy Gibson both took an unofficial visit to East Lansing on Tuesday and both players walked away with offers from Coach Izzo.  Kearney and Gibson spent Tuesday afternoon listening to how they could fit into one of the top programs in the country.  After a tour of campus the players also took part in an open gym against the Spartan team and a handful of former players, which included Steve Smith.

**Roy Marble Jr., of Southfield-Lathrup put a quick end to his recruitment after receiving an offer from Iowa, where his Dad is the school’s leading scorer.  Marble played well at Michigan’s elite camp and really showed an improvement his game, especially on the perimeter.  Before the Iowa offer came it appeared that Marble would be staying closer to home as the University of Detroit was in the lead of Marble’s recruitment.    

In one bracket Toledo Waite topped Bridgeport. The Bearcats were without Darvin Ham Jr. who is down in Texas working out with his Dad’s strength and conditioning coach.  Even without Ham the Bearcats looked solid and might just be able to pull off a return trip to the Breslin Center.  Derrick Davis has found a new position moving from a forward to the 1 and 2.  Davis was solid with the ball and was still able to get his shot off.  Other key contributors form B-Port were Ethan Johnson, a senior guard who can knock down the 3-ball and he got plenty of open looks as Davis demanded extra defenders.  6-8 junior Neil Phelps is still raw and has plenty of work to do in the practice gym but his size will come in handy down the road.

In the other bracket Lansing Waverley made an early statement with an impressive win over a good East Grand Rapids team.  Waverly has a handful of solid players; most notably 6-6 wing forward Austin Barnes. Barnes uses his length to stay active on the glass.  Junior Skyelar Moore and sophomore Rashaun Carroll make up a young starting backcourt for Waverly, meaning they will only get better with experience.  Both guards are tough and do a solid job of forcing turnovers.

East did take a hit when senior point guard AJ McEwen sprained an ankle and was sidelined early Saturday.  AJ did return but just didn’t have the same bounce.  With or without AJ, East was led by 6-8 senior Colin Voss.  Voss is built like a mack truck but showed a soft touch around the basket as well as the ability to push the ball up the court himself.  Sophomore Deandre Grady will play a big role for East this season as a combo guard.

Mt. Pleasant was also impressive at the camp but were forced to pull out Saturday due to a majority of the players having prior commitments to travel baseball.  The Oilers return most of their roster that made it all the way to the regional finals last year.  Mt. Pleasant has also added transfer James Arnold, a wing who played at Flint Southwestern a year ago.  Trey Zeigler looked and played like he’s ready to make his run at Mr. Basketball, he stayed near 30 points per game while keeping his teammates involved and filling up the rest of the stat sheet.

Other notable teams

Detroit Allen- Allen might just be the most improved team from a year ago.  Allot of it has to do with the adding of guards Ed Brown and Darryl Flemster to go with 6-7 post player Kalen Foreman.  Brown put on a show all weekend but was most effective in a 12 point win over East Grand Rapids where he knocked down seven 3-pointers. Brown also had a 30 point game against Academy of Oak Park.  Flemster handled the point and constantly put the ball right where it needed to be whether if it was a pass in transition or one of the many alleys he tossed Foreman.  Foreman is very active and bouncy but needs to add weight.  He will be tough for class C opponents to slow down.

Saginaw Buena Vista- It’s hard to believe that Dedo Jackson is already entering his fourth year as the starting point guard of the Knights. In the past three years he has seen it all and takes that calm approach to the court which is desperately needed in the inexperience team that surrounds him.  Dedo does have some help in sharpshooter George Goodman.  Goodman gives Dedo a target that can fill it up from anywhere on the floor.  The two seem to be building a “big brother-little brother” relationship as they are always communicating on the floor.

Suttons Bay- a.k.a. Dwaun Anderson High School has a strong showing.  Anderson does have a teammate or two that can hit an open jumpshot but that’s about it. Anderson too many times tried to do too much and ended up looking bad with turnovers or forced shots.  He excels when he has equally talented players around him but leading the way isn’t his forte.

Academy of Oak Park- could have easily been the most talented team at the camp but bad shot selection led to losses to East Grand Rapids and Bay City Western. Davonte Miller is a very quick point guard who doesn’t waste anytime getting the ball up the floor. A.O.P’s best player is Demitri Abner but he just wasn’t himself this weekend as you can tell he is still hampered by a knee injury from the spring.

Credit has to be given to the city of Saginaw, despite teams flocking in from all around the state; Saginaw featured atleast one team in every championship game.  Below is a breakdown of each age division:

17:under

Championship: Team Detroit over Team Pride

MVP: Trey Zeigler, Team Detroit

Notable performances in 17-u division:

Dwaun Anderson, Parallel 45

Derrick Davis, Team Pride

Justin Fowler, OAA Select

Maurice “Pookie” Jones, Team Detroit

Thomas Lovachis, OAA Select

Tommie McCune, Team Pride

Garrett Mortenson, Parallel 45

Richaud Pack, Team Detroit

Corey Petros, Team Detroit

Walter Pitchford, Team Detroit

Demarco Sanders, Team Pride

AJ Thomas, Team Pride

Recap: On paper Team Detroit came in as the obvious favorite but they were missing standouts Ray McCallum (Adidas Nations) and Brandan Kearney (USA National Team).  While Team D tried to find some cohesiveness, the competition took advantage.

Team Pride squeaked out an overtime win in pool play behind the play of Tommie McCune and the sharp shooting of Demarco Sanders.  Parallel 45 also pushed Team D to the limits in pool play, as Team D needed a heroic effort from Trey Zeigler to escape with an overtime win.  One of the biggest individual plays of the tournament came when Zeigler drove baseline and threw down a dunk right in the face of a P-45 defender while being fouled.  The free throw helped send the game into overtime.

Team Detroit and Team Pride met again for a rematch in the championship game but this time the guard play of Pookie Jones, Richaud Pack, and Zeigler proved to be too much for Team Pride to handle.  Team Pride couldn’t keep Pookie out of the paint while Pack cashed in a handful of open looks from downtown as Team Detroit cruised to a double digit victory.

16:under

Championship: Saginaw All or Nothing over Team Pride

MVP: Marquavis Ford, Saginaw All or Nothing

Notable performances in 16-u division:

Trey Babers, Team Pride

Lee Bailey, Team Detroit

Percy Gibson, Team Detroit

George Goodman, Camp Jordan

Kenny Knight, Team Detroit

Ray Lee, Team Detroit

Kevin Marshall, Saginaw FOH

Evellis McGee, Saginaw All or Nothing

Christian Vaughn, Team Pride

Recap: The biggest shock of the weekend came Sunday morning when Saginaw All or Nothing upset Team Detroit.  In a very intense and emotional game, Team Detroit found their selves down but a run late in the game, along with free throws from Lee Bailey and Ray Lee tied the game.  With time running out Marquavis Ford drove to the basket but a foul sent the 6-1 guard to the line for what would be the game winning foul shots.

All or Nothing took that momentum into the championship game, where Ford was at it again, and helped lead his team to a surprising championship.

15:under

Championship: Team Pride over Parallel 45

MVP: Kenny Kaminski, Team Pride

Notable performances in 15-u division:

Dominique Jackson, Team Pride

Donald Fisher, Team Pride

Recap: Team Pride 15’s showed just how good they really are by boasting the championship without star players- Dorain Dawkins (sick) and Matt Costello (band concert). Ohio native, Kenny Kaminski picked up the scoring load and showed his ability to score in the post and the perimeter.  

14:under

Championship: Superfriends over Saginaw All or Nothing

MVP: Steve Haney, Superfriends

Notable performances in 14-u division:

Derrick Walton, Superfriends

Dre Johnson, Superfriends

—————————————————–

Team D swept through their pool convincingly with an average win margin of 28 points.  Trey Zeigler and Ray McCallum led the way through pool play, but it was a full team effort, especially on the block as Corey Petros, Percy Gibson, Javon Harden, and Will Gholston took turns throwing their weight around.  Petros, the 6-9 Utica Eisenhower standout, especially stood out by posting a pair of double-doubles with points and rebounds.    

On Sunday Team Detroit faced Triple-Threat (Lansing) in the semi-finals.  Zeigler set the tone right away by taking the game’s first possession and throwing a dunk down right in the face of a defender.  McCallum spent most of pool play deferring and setting up his teammates, but in the semi-finals McCallum came out aggressive and knocked down his first three jump shots as Team Detroit built a 15 point lead in the first half. 

However Triple-Threat refused to bow down and fought right back into the game with players like Owosso’s Joe Blanchett, Holt’s Cole Darling, and Lansing Waverly’s Austin Barnes, Darling and Barnes, who both stand at 6-7, mixed up their inside-outside game, while Blanchett nailed big shot after shot.  A 3-pointer from Blanchett knotted the score in the game’s final minute.

Coming out of a time out Team Detroit played for the last shot.  The ball ended up in the hands of McCallum who attacked the basket and was fouled hard.  With 3 seconds left McCallum headed to the line and sank both free throws to propel Team Detroit in the finals.

In the Championship Team D faced the Detroit Stars.  With Team Detroit having an obvious size advantage Petros and Gibson went right to work in the post and both were able to complete three point plays. A pair of steals from McCallum led to some fastbreak baskets while a 3-pointer from Brandan Kearney built a double digit lead.  

The Stars hung around for the remainder of the first half, but in the second half Kearney got hot and showed off his versatility with a handful of jump shots to blow the game open.  Zeigler, McCallum, Kearney, Petros, and Gibson all reached double figures in the Championship game. 

Drew Valentine got going early and his offensive tip back gave Sexton an 8-3 lead but then both defenses flexed their muscles and points were hard to come by as Sexton led 13-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Four straight points from Denzel Valentine extended the Big Red lead to 17-9 early in the second. Muskegon answered with a run and a lay up from, junior, Jamil Thornton tied the game at 21-21. A 3-pointer from sophomore Tyrin Wade capped a Sexton 8-0 run but then Muskegon finished the quarter with their own 8-0 run to make the score 30-29 in Sexton’s favor at the half.

Sexton controlled the momentum and the scoreboard for a majority of the second half but the Big Reds just couldn’t distance theirselves from a scrappy Tiger team. Sexton controlled a 61-52 lead, with 5: 23 left in the fourth, on a Nate Duhon 3-pointer but a 13-3 run and a 3-pointer from Muskegon’s Moses Buckley cut the Sexton lead down to a single point with 1:30 to play. A Tiger’s foul shot tied the game with 56 seconds left and a steal from Ricarri Stimage turned into a Buckley lay up to give Muskegon their first lead of the game at 68-66 with 50 seconds left. Muskegon was able to knock down five foul shots in the final 20 seconds to seal the win.

BREAKDOWN: Sexton had control of this game for four quarters but it was the turnovers late in the game that killed them. The Heights is a scrappy team and Coach Keith Guy always has his teams well prepared year in and year out, so you just knew Muskegon was going to hang around. Muskegon pressed periodically the whole game and Sexton handled it well, but I’m just not sure why they had trouble late in the game as Muskegon forced 4 steals in the final two minutes. But Sexton will be just fine down the road because they are still gelling as a team since this was just Drew Valentine’s third game back from injury. Once Valentine gets fully comfortable the Big Reds will be tough to beat.

PLAYER OF GAME: Sean Davis, Heights- a lanky wing that can spot up and shoot but is most dangerous when he slices his way to the basket. The 6-2 senior finished with a team high 18 points.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Jullian Plummer, Heights- a nice player who relies on his physical traits. The 6-6 forward had a quiet day as he battled foul trouble trying to guard Drew Valentine. On another note Plummer was listed as a freshman last year but is now a junior and it was confirmed by his coach.

Ricarri Stimage, Heights- logged 7 points but came up with 2 big steals in the game’s final minute to give his team the lead.

Drew Valentine, Sexton- in his third game back Drew still doesn’t look 100% but he was easily the best player on the court. Drew just has a feel for the game and always seems to make the right play. Led his team with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Denzel Valentine, Sexton- the young freshman made some real nice plays and was solid taking care of the ball against the press. He was five of six at the free throw line as he finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Nate Duhon, Sexton- added 17 points for Sexton.

**Juanita Cochran blocks a shot**

Saginaw- Rivalry week continued in Saginaw this week as Saginaw High’s and Arthur Hill’s girls team took center stage Thursday night at Arthur Hill, and while the girl’s game might not have the same pizzazz as the boys, you couldn’t tell that to the ladies who took the court or the packed crowd who filled the gym.

Things didn’t get off as planned for the Lady Jacks when point guard Corie Buchanan picked up her second foul just a minute and a half into the contest. With Buchanan on the bench, Saginaw’s point guard Diamond Tolliver took advantage and her “and 1″ play gave the Trojans an 8-3 lead.

Arthur Hill’s Juanita Cochran and Kiah Douglas stepped up and carried the load with Cochran doing her thing in the paint and Douglas sliding over to the point. An assist from Douglas to Nana Hall tied the game at 11-11 and a second assist from Douglas to My’esia Moore gave the Hill their first lead at 13-11 as the first quarter horn sounded.

Midway through the second quarter Buchanan checked back into the game and went right to work, a pull-up jumper followed by two assist from Buchanan and Arthur Hill had theirselves a 25-15 lead with 3:30 on the clock. With just seconds until halftime, Tolliver lost her edge and was called for a technical foul giving Douglas a pair of free throws as Arthur Hill led 31-20 at halftime.

A three point play from Cochran gave the Hill a 39-25 lead with 3:48 to play in the third but then Saginaw fought back with a 8-2 run to cut the lead to 41-33. Two steals from Buchanan turned into open court lay-ups for herself and Douglas to give the Lady Jacks a 49-34 lead heading into the final quarter but Saginaw was never able to threaten again as Arthur Hill took a 67-58 victory.

BREAKDOWN: neither team played their best basketball but Saginaw was able to get up 10 points in the second quarter and that proved to be the difference. Arthur Hill really looked lost early on when Buchanan got into foul trouble. Saginaw got plenty of open looks and even took better shots near the basket but their undersized forwards just couldn’t get shots to fall, but credit Cochran for that, as she controlled the paint.

PLAYER OF GAME: Juanita Cochran, Hill- the 6-2 center picked up a pair of fouls early but she did a great job the rest of the way by staying on the ground, keeping her hands high in the air, and forcing Saginaw to shoot over her. The results were a poor shooting percentage by Saginaw and a 18 point, 11 rebound, and 3 block night for Juanita.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Corie Buchanan, Hill- never really got her shot going but she made up for it by attacking the paint and tossing some pretty fancy passes to her teammates for easy shots. Finished with 11 points, 5 steals, and 7 assist.

Kiah Douglas, Hill- did a nice job at the point while Corie was in foul trouble. She was able to push the ball and get into the lanes, added 13 points in the winning cause.

Diamond Tolliver, High- finished with 14 points and her play and ability to push the ball was the reason Saginaw took an early lead but then she faded away in the second half.

Amber Jackson, High- the five foot senior is small but she is tough as heck and gets very physical defensively. She wasn’t around early in the season but she makes Saginaw a better team.

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