Karsten moves by Taylor, Greene to top all scorers in boys’ basketball
by Richard Lamb– Advance Editor
A four-year starter moved past another four-year starter to become the new leading scorer in RCHS boys? basketball history. Bret Karsten moved past Ben Taylor (1,090 points in three varsity seasons) on Saturday, then surpassed Kyle Greene?s 1,136 points with a 29-point effort at Hillman Tuesday in a 75-64 Huron win. Karsten is a four-year starter for the Hurons, and is the all-time leader in varsity games played with 84 for boys.
?It all started in eighth grade when Coach Grambau told me that he was maybe going to give me a chance to play for four years. As a freshman my goal was to get 1,000 points like Kyle Greene; I watched him play, and basically it was four years and a lot of work. I missed very few and that is what it took,? Karsten said. Grambau said Karsten is a great sparkplug for the team who really knows the game of basketball.
?It has been a joy to have him for four years in our system. I think some day he will be a basketball coach and he will be good one, too,? Grambau said. ?He really wants to win and is a very good team player.?
AGAINST HILLMAN Tuesday, Rogers City (10-9) got out to a great start, behind the one-two scoring punch of seniors Karsten and center Scott Kowalewsky. Karsten scored nine points and Kowalewsky added six as the Hurons led 22-14 after the first quarter. ?We couldn?t ask for a better start. We have a lot of guys hurt right now. Some kids really stepped up and played tonight,? said coach Karl Grambau. Justin Idalski is expected back next week while the status of Scott Grulke and Josh Curtis is not known. Hillman scored the final eight points of the second quarter to cut the lead to 34-30 at halftime. Using a close man-to-man defense, and with Kowalewsky snaring rebound after rebound, the Hurons went on an 8-2 run to build the lead to 42-32 with 6:21 left in the third quarter. The Hurons led 59-41 after three quarters and led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter. Karsten?s 29 points led the Hurons while Kowalewsky added 23 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots. Devon Ferris added 11 points.
LAST SATURDAY in a make-up game at Onaway, Kowalewsky?s 25 points led the team to a 75-65 win over the Cardinals. Karsten scored 18 and Kevin Fairbanks added 10 points. The Cards led 28-18 in a run-and-gun first quarter, but a big 22-5 edge in the fourth quarter pulled out the game for Rogers City.
LAST THURSDAY, Rogers City grabbed the lead early and held off Newberry in a 63-46 win over the Indians Thursday. Junior guard Justin Idalski poured in 15 points, 11 coming in the third quarter, while Scott Kowalewsky had 14 and Bret Karsten added 13. The Hurons led 30-23 at the half and scored the first eight points of the third quarter to pull away on Parents and Seniors Night at RCHS. Seniors Andy Grambau, Matt Peacock, and Matt Schmucker started the game with Karsten and Kowalewksy.
THE RC JV ended an outstanding season with a 17-2 record under the guidance of coach Mike Grulke. The JV powered to a 64-57 win at Hillman Tuesday. Rogers City led 13-4 at the end of the first quarter and 34-17 at halftime. Hillman cut the lead to four at 59-55 in
The JV won again at Onaway, 76-54, with 11 players landing in the scoring column. The Hurons trailed 21-17 at the end of the first quarter, but came back to lead 37-31 at halftime. Wagner scored 16 points, Meharg scored 12, and Matt Mertz and Tyler Szmuila each added 10 points.
ROGERS CITY plays Lincoln-Alcona Monday at 6 p.m. in the first round of district tournament play at Harbor Springs. The winner of that game plays Hale Wednesday, February 27 at 6 p.m. The district championship game is set for Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m. Rogers City played Cedarville two times instead of Alcona this season. Hale defeated Posen two times this year. Other teams in the district are Harbor Springs, Whittemore-Prescott, and Boyne City. The home game with Hillman, cancelled due to poor weather earlier in the season, will not be made up.