spoRTSBEAT by Peter Jakey: Overcoming ?uh, oh? moments

It was yet another fine finishing touch for the Lady Vikings in Tuesday?s district semifinal game against Hillman, and while there were a few ?uh, oh? moments in the playoff opener, the girls showed they have what it takes to get to the finish line. Hillman took their shots, and had several moments to turn the game around, but could not convert their opportunities. Hillman missed several open shots, forced other shots, or had stretches when Posen turned the ball over multiple times, yet did not score on the other end. No matter how much Hillman tried to knock the train from the Posen tracks, the Vikings gave up the lead only a couple of times, and kept the pressure on the visitors in the second half. As long as Posen had the lead, the pressure remained squarely on the Tigers.

Head coach Tom Schellie received a great effort from all-state favorites, Mary Calhoun and Roxann Hincka, but others stepped up as well. Freshman Janice Ciarkowski came up with some key points when Hillman started getting hot from the field in the second quarter. Senior Michelle Mulka came up with some key blocked shots and a great scoring pass in the second quarter. Senior Jenny Ciarkowski had a pressure-lifting three-point basket late, when the Tigers took one final shot at the home team. The Vikings continued to weather the storm. It is why they are going for a fourth straight district championship and have won back-to-back North Star League titles. The ?uh, oh? moments came in the second half.

The Vikings had a nice nine-point cushion heading into the break, but Hillman tightened up on defense at the start of the third quarter, holding Posen scoreless until Mulka made a pair of free throws at the 4:13 mark. During that time, Hillman scored six straight, and cut the lead to three. The scoring drought had coach Schellie reliving a bad memory from two weeks ago. ?It was very nerve wracking, because it was the same thing that happened to us in Alcona,? said Schellie. ?We went on the drought in the third quarter. To come out and do the same thing in this game was very nerve wracking.? The points broke the ice, as the Vikes got the lead back to 10 with two minutes to go in the third, about the same time Hincka went to the bench with four fouls. The girls came through with Hincka on the bench a few weeks ago, and they did it again. The Tigers would get the deficit down to four with more than five minutes to go at 44-40, but Hincka would cut the basket for an important field goal and the foul, for a three-point swing. An ?uh, oh? moment turned into fist thrusts by fans and players. ?It has been frustrating,? said Hillman head coach Eric Muszynski. ?In any other district, maybe we win. Unfortunately, we could not match Posen?s will tonight.?

The Vikings spoiled the post-season hopes of a pretty good Hillman squad; now they will try to do the same to Johannesburg-Lewiston.

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There have been some huge games between Michigan and Ohio State over the years, but never with both teams coming in with undefeated records, and both having a shot at a national title. In college football?s greatest rivalry, and it is hard to imagine that this could happen, ?the game? has been taken up a couple of notches. A Detroit sports talk radio station has a promotional ad running this week. It says the schools should place a bet. Something significant ? like the City of Toledo. Whoever wins, gets the City of Toledo. I don?t think my youngest brother would a

ppreciate that. If Toledo was not enough, the ad continued, then throw in Monroe.

For weeks, both Meechigan fans and followers from that school down below have had November 18 circled on their calendars, and nothing would make me feel better this weekend than to see Lloyd Carr and the Maize and Blue leave ?The Snakepit? with a win and a ticket to the national championship game. Quoting Bob Ufer, the voice of Meechigan football for 37 years before passing away in 1981, echoed Bo Schembechler?s statement, ?What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. And those who stay, will be champions.”

And to steal another Uferism — to spoil the Buckeye?s perfect season — I would love ?every cotton’ pickin’ Maize ‘n Blue minute of it.” Ufer was a true-Maize and Blue homer, and so am I. Go Meechigan.