Halfway there

By Jon Malavolti
C & G Sports Writer

Photo by Deb Jacques Roseville High junior David Green lines up a shot during a practice earlier this season. The Panthers were tied for first place in the division halfway through the MAC White season.

Roseville atop crowded division standings, plenty of work left to do

Roseville High’s boys basketball team is exactly where it wants to be at the halfway point of the Macomb Area Conference White Division season — at the top.

But unfortunately for the Panthers, it’s crowded at the top.

Roseville was in a tie for first place at press time with Grosse Pointe North, with each squad sporting 4-2 division records. One game behind the Panthers and the defending division champion Norsemen were Warren Cousino, Utica High and Port Huron Northern — all 3-3 in the MAC White. Utica Stevenson and Grosse Pointe South, meanwhile, were at 2-4, still in striking distance at just two games back.

“Our league is very balanced, which makes it a great challenge to play well every night or you will lose,” Roseville coach Jeff Verkeyn said.

While the Panthers (7-4 overall) would love to walk away with the division title with ease, they know the tough competition only makes them better — a valuable experience for when the postseason rolls around.

“(Playing a tough schedule) puts a lot of positive pressure on coaches and players to play hard every night and should make everyone better in preparation for districts,” Verkeyn said.

Roseville will need to be at the top of its game come districts. The Panthers’ Division 1 district, scheduled to take place at Fraser High during the second week of March, is loaded with talented squads. Those teams also have, for the most part, successfully navigated their way to, or near, the top of some tough divisions at the halfway point of the season.

District opponents include longtime reigning district champ Warren De La Salle, which has reloaded and flirted with a state ranking and first place in the Catholic High School League’s Central Division. Warren Mott was a game out of the MAC Gold lead, and Warren Woods Tower was tied for first in the MAC Silver. Cousino was the only other MAC White team sporting a winning overall record, as the Patriots were 7-4 at press time.

In fact, Fraser was the only squad in the group that didn’t have a winning record, but the MAC Blue-based Ramblers will have the advantage of playing at home in the district tournament.

But Verkeyn isn’t too worried about the Panthers’ opponents; instead he’s focusing on his team’s strengths and what it needs to work on down the stretch.

“When we have played our best, everyone played their role well,” the coach said. “We need to get our team a little more balanced and be tougher in the paint.”

Catch Roseville in action next when the Panthers host division foe Stevenson at 7 p.m. Feb. 5.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Jon Malavolti at jmalavolti@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1040.