The last time Airport’s girls basketball team met Tecumseh, it wasn’t pretty.
“They really beat us up bad last year,” Airport coach Darrell Mossburg said of his team’s 74-29 loss in the regional semifinals.
Airport wasn’t alone in getting thrashed by Tecumseh last season. Coach Kristy Zajac’s team went 27-1 and won the MHSAA Division 2 state championship.
Mossburg hopes the result will be much different when the teams clash again in the state quarterfinals at Chelsea on Tuesday, March 17 at 7 p.m.
“This group is different,” he said. “Our team is different, and they are different.”
The names have not changed much for Airport.
The Jets have the same starting lineup that they had in 2024-25. Seniors Peyton Zajac, Olivia Gratz, Brenna Baker and Jillian Baker along with junior Sophia Mator have added a year of experience.
Tecumseh had to replace three starters, but didn’t skip a beat.
A big reason for that is the play of senior guard Chloe Bullinger. She is averaging 9.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5 assists per game. She broke the school record for career assists earlier this season.
“Chloe Bullinger is the engine that makes everything happen on offense and defense,” Mossburg said. “She is the one I worry about. She is all effort all the time. She leads and the others follow.”
Coach’s daughters Avery and Addy Zajac are the leading scorers for Tecumseh at just over 13 points per game each. Makayla Schlorf (11.7) and Delaney Brown (9.2) also are scoring threats.
“We really stress having multiple players that can score,” coach Zajac said. “A lot of teams can shut down one great player, but it’s so difficult to stop five good players on the floor.
“We do a great job of sharing the basketball as we average over 16 assists per game and have had multiple games with over 20 assists. This group of girls are team-first kids and will do whatever it takes to help us win.”
The season numbers for the two teams are almost identical.
Each has a 24-2 record. Airport is scoring 67.8 points per game and gives up 36.3. Tecumseh produces 63.8 points a game and gives up 31.5.
Tecumseh was ranked No. 3 in the state in the final Michigan Sportswriters poll. Airport claimed the 10th spot in the last week of the season.
“We don’t even care,” Mossburg said. “Rankings are rankings. In the end, they don’t matter.”
With three straight trips to the quarterfinals, Tecumseh has an edge in tournament experience.
Airport has learned the rigors of the state tournament in other sports.
Peyton Zajac, both Bakers and Martin were mainstays on the Jets softball team that reached the semifinals last spring.
“Four of our kids have been to the Final Four in softball,” Mossburg said. “I don’t think they are awestruck. Our kids are up to the challenge.”
Mossburg is telling his players not to change what they have been doing all season.
“The key, in my opinion, is to get them to play up tempo, make them play at our pace,” he said. “We need to play the game, not the scoreboard. We have to play possession by possession and stay focused. We’ve been doing that all year.”
On Tecumseh knocking Airport out of the state tournament last year. “They really beat us up bad last year (74-29 in regional semifinals), but this group is different. Our team is different and they are different.”
On finally cracking the Michigan Sportswriters state rankings in the final week of the season at No. 10. “We don’t even care. Rankings are rankings. In the end, they don’t matter.”
The Airport-Tecumseh winner will advance to the Michigan State’s Breslin Center to play either No. 5 Flint Powers (23-3) or Petoskey (22-3) in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 20.
The other side of the bracket features No. 1 Grand Rapids South Christian (26-0), No. 2 Goodrich (26-0), No. 7 Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-5) and Detroit Country Day (15-9).
“We haven’t even thought about it,” Mossburg said. “If we get to Breslin, then we will worry about it.”
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Airport set to take on Tecumseh in school’s first state quarterfinal
Reporting by Niles Kruger, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
