CHEBOYGAN – Cathleen Louisignau hasn’t shot a basketball in about 10 years.
But when the former Cheboygan winger returned to her home court last week, the feeling came back.
And yes, she wishes she could go back in time.
“I miss it every day, just having that experience,” Louisignau said.
It might not feel like 20 years ago, but it’s really been that long since Louisignau and her Cheboygan teammates and coaches went on a history-making, program-changing, first-ever run to the Class B state semifinals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Twenty years later, the 2005 Cheboygan girls were back in their home gym as they were honored during a 20-year reunion ceremony at halftime of Cheboygan’s matchup against Charlevoix on Friday, Jan. 16. Louisignau, along with fellow former stars like all-stater Amanda Blaskowski (Green), Carrie Dombroski (Chapman) and many others, as well as head coach Jason Purcell, got the chance to celebrate one of the greatest moments in Cheboygan High School sports.
Once halftime began, Cheboygan’s players and coaches were introduced.
Then came the emotional part of the ceremony, led by Purcell, who spoke about the toughness, togetherness and unselfishness of the ‘05 Chiefs, who finished 25-2 overall.
“It’s amazing that after 20 years, with a little bit of planning, you can get them all back here,” Purcell said prior to the ceremony. “There were a lot of laughs when we were down in the Drift Inn for the last hour. There was a lot of storytelling going on, a lot of the parents were down there with us, and the girls and children, and so they’re getting exposed to what it’s like to kind of have an extended family.”
While those Chiefs of 20 years ago won a lot on the court, they’ve also been highly successful off it, with many Cheboygan players working the medical field, like Katie Knaffle (Fimbinger), who is the head nurse of surgery at McClaren Northern Michigan’s Cheboygan Campus, as well as Felicia Newman (Walker), who works as a nurse practitioner in Cheboygan.
Some live in Cheboygan, but others have made a positive difference elsewhere, like Louisignau, who works as a Director of Engagement at United Way of Midland County. Like all those years ago with the Chiefs, Louisignau applies those team concepts she learned on the court in her own profession.
“Discipline and dedication and collaboration and communication,” Louisignau said. “All of the things that I do have to do with good teamwork. We all learned from each other. We learned from my dad (Jim) and Amanda’s (Blaskowski-Green) dad (Kurt Blaskowski), too, who coached our travel teams growing up, and I think what made us so good was that we played so much together. Coach Purcell and Coach Friday and Denny Jewell were fantastic coaches. They really did a good job with us, and my dad and Kurt Blaskowski spent a lot of time with us when were younger, teaching us the fundamentals of the game.”
Their competitive basketball days are over, but the love for the sport still runs deep with some, including Green, who’s now coaching her two sons and their team, teaching them the importance of being unselfish, having a positive attitude, and developing excellent chemistry. As Green reunited with her teammates and coaches, that oh-so-perfect chemistry returned.
“We haven’t missed a beat,” Green said. “After 20 years we were all just meeting down in a room and everybody can just still pick up where they left off, so it’s been fun.”
It might’ve only been a short period of getting to catch up on things, but the 2005 Chiefs made the most of their chance to be together again. But as much as Purcell loved coaching that legendary group, he’s even more pleased at how far those ladies have made it off the court.
“I think the life lessons that you learn on the court or the football field or any athletic arena serve you well as you go through your career,” Purcell said. “It’s great to see them all thriving.”
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Reunited 2005 Cheboygan girls having success off basketball court
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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