The irony certainly isn’t lost on Fraser head girls basketball coach Rob Fulgenzi.
Entering his team’s Division 1 state quarterfinal against Utica Eisenhower on Tuesday at Calihan Hall, Fulgenzi looks at Eisenhower and knows it is in the same place as he was with his team a few years ago, which is not being afraid one bit to throw underclassmen into the fire.
Eisenhower starts three sophomores and overall has seven sophomores and a freshman on its roster.
Likewise, Fulgenzi didn’t hesitate to play his current core of seniors on varsity when they were freshmen three years ago.
“We were extremely young that year and we knew we had the potential to be a good program for years to come with those young players,” Fulgenzi said. “What we saw down the line in the pipeline at the youth level and our middle school level, we knew we’d eventually get this core together. We’re playing this Eisenhower team with so many young and talented players. We remember playing them last year when that group was freshmen and I told (Eisenhower head coach Madison Ristovski) after that. ‘You guys are going to be force to come for years. You guys are going to be a problem for a lot of teams.’”
Fulgenzi just hopes Eisenhower won’t be such a problem for his team Tuesday in what will be an all-Macomb County quarterfinal between teams on huge winning streaks.
Eisenhower has won 19 straight, while Fraser comes in winners of 22 in a row.
Fraser hopes its more experienced lineup will be the difference. Fraser has four players who are in their fourth year on varsity, forward Brynn Norbeck, point guard Alaynah Quinn, guard Francesca Sines and senior guard Sam Smith.
“We knew going into the year, we had a special group that was capable of doing some great things,” Fulgenzi said.
While not far from each other, the two do play in different leagues. Eisenhower won the Macomb Area Conference Red with an unbeaten record, while Fraser did the same in the MAC Blue.
“I just think that speaks volumes to the county as a whole and girls basketball in the area,” Fulgenzi said. “When you’re local and you’re in the same Macomb Area Conference, you hear about these girls’ names, even though you don’t play them. We know who their players are. They know who our players are. I think we’ve played each other over the summer.”
Eisenhower also has quality seniors to rely on in Gabby Gojcaj and Natalya Stojcevski, who have helped guide a promising sophomore class led by Madison Repicky, Leah Poggliolo and Janielle Turner.
Carleton Airport prepares for first quarterfinal
It will be the ultimate full-circle measuring stick for Carleton Airport when it faces defending state champion Tecumseh in a Division 2 quarterfinal at Chelsea.
Last year, Carleton Airport lost to Tecumseh in a regional semifinal, which was a springboard to this season and what became Carleton Airport’s first regional title last week.
“It’s kind of part of the success this year,” said Carleton Airport head coach Darrell Mossburg, who is in his 16th year. “It made us realize what we had to do to get better and to get to that level. So they worked hard all offseason, in the summer, and continued that throughout the fall and into the season. What I think they finally realized being seniors now Is that they have to pay attention to detail. Focus your energy in practices. Practice like a winner each and every day.”
Now, Carleton Airport can full gauge just how far it has come since that loss to Tecumseh.
It obviously won’t be easy, because Tecumseh might be just as good as last year when it won the title.
Tecumseh is led by senior guards Chloe Bullinger and Makayla Schlorf, junior forward Addi Zajac and a promising group of freshmen led by Avery Zajac.
Mossburg said his team has been led by senior guard Olivia Gratz, junior guard Sophia Mator, and senior forwards Jillian Baker and Peyton Zajac as it tries to continue what has already been a historic season.
“We thought this could be a big group that could get us to where the program wants to go,” Mossburg said of his players and how they grew up in the community. “We’ve had an eye on them for six or seven years now.”
Muskegon-Grand Haven set for rematch
The state’s best quarterfinal matchup will take place at Hudsonville, where Muskegon (23-2) will play Grand Haven (23-3) in a matchup of two west-side powers. Muskegon finished the regular season ranked No. 4 in Division 1, while Grand Haven was No. 7. The teams met on Jan. 28, with Grand Haven pulling out a 47-46 win.
Lumen Christi, Niles Brandywine on collision course for semifinal
In Division 3, Jackson Lumen Christi and Niles Brandywine are each one step away from meeting in what would be a big semifinal showdown Thursday in East Lansing.
Lumen Christi will face Plymouth Christian, while Brandywine will take on Hart.
Barring big upsets, the two would play in a noon semifinal on Thursday.
Brandywine, which was tied with McBain for the No. 1 ranking at the end of the regular season, lost in the championship game two years ago to Ypsilanti Arbor Prep and last year in the semifinals to Arbor Prep.
Lumen Christi is now coached by former Arbor Prep head man Scott Stine and features one of the country’s top players in the sophomore class, point guard Kenna Hunt.
Keith Dunlap is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Story lines to watch in Michigan girls high school basketball quarterfinals
Reporting by Keith Dunlap, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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