Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointes

MAC Blue champs

By Sue Teggart
C & G Sports Writer

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Grosse Pointe South junior Aisha Rodney drives the ball upcourt while Grosse Pointe North senior Arial Braker gives chase during a game earlier in the season. South won its second straight MAC Blue championship, finishing 9-1 on the season.

Grosse Pointe South girls hoops wins second straight league title

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Three seasons ago, the Grosse Pointe South girls basketball team was just another squad in the pack.

Today, the Blue Devils are a two-time league champion.

After a thrilling 51-31 victory over Warren Cousino Feb. 24, South claimed its second straight Macomb Area Conference Blue Division championship, posting a 9-1 record.

“The girls here have high expectations,” coach Kevin Richards said March 4. “We’re still not where I’d like us to be; I’d like us in a regional — the quarterfinals. That’s my goal. I want to keep moving up.”

Richards said perseverance, even with the pressure of having a target on their backs, was the key this season.

“I was really proud of the girls, especially with such a young group,” Richards said. “We do have two outstanding players (senior Chloe Srebernak and junior Aisha Rodney), but you really do see the improvement in the other girls.

“Last year, we had a lot of experience coming back, and I expected us to be good,” Richards continued. “I think this year, there’s a higher ceiling with this group. This year, we had a target on our back. I’m really proud of the girls.”

Richards said after winning the league title, the Blue Devils were hungry for more.

“After we won, we came in the locker room and I was really impressed with the girls,” Richards said. “It was like, ‘That’s done, let’s go get something else.’”

In district play, the Blue Devils rolled past Eastpointe East Detroit in the opener and St. Clair Shores Lakeview in the semifinals to meet rival and six-time MAC Red Division champion Grosse Pointe North in the March 5 district final. North won that game 40-34.


North has been South’s biggest obstacle in the past three district finals, but reaching a district final is a point of progress for the Blue Devils.

“It exciting, definitely, to get to this point,” junior Aisha Rodney said at the squad’s March 4 practice. “People may not have high expectations of us, but we have high expectations of each other. … It says a lot about our strong state of mind that we keep at it and don’t give up. We’ve come back over again, and that shows that we have a strong heart and drive.”

“I’m really proud of the girls, and hopefully, they’ve had some experiences that they’re going to remember for a lifetime,” Richards said.

In regional basketball news:

North moved on to the L’Anse Creuse High regional and took on Sterling Heights High March 9, after press time. In the other half of the draw, Macomb Dakota took on Warren Cousino. The regional final is scheduled for 7 p.m.  March 11 at L’Anse Creuse.

University Liggett also captured a district title and was in action at Riverview Gabriel Richard. Should the Knights win their opener, they would play in the final at 7 p.m. March 11.

See next week’s paper for more on North and Liggett.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Sue Teggart at steggart@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1107.