Utica

Seniors willing Utica High boys hoops to wins

By Jon Malavolti
C & G Sports Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Utica High’s Mighael Hollingsworth shoots over a defender during a game earlier this season. The Chieftains’ experienced group of seniors, led by Hollingsworth, has the team racking up the wins this season. Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Utica High’s Mighael Hollingsworth shoots over a defender during a game earlier this season. The Chieftains’ experienced group of seniors, led by Hollingsworth, has the team racking up the wins this season.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Entering this season, Gerry Kraemer had high expectations for the Utica High boys basketball team.

The Chieftains’ coach had seven senior lettermen returning, but it wasn’t the solely the experience that made the returnee-led team so tantalizing, it was their work ethic and how it rubbed off on the rest of the team via their leadership.

“Most of the players on the team, their love is basketball,” Kraemer said. “So they continue to work daily.”

The coach said it was the squad’s hard work in the offseason that set the table for success this season. At press time, the Chieftains were 15-2 overall and 9-2 in the Macomb Area Conference White Division. They were scheduled to battle co-division leaders Warren Cousino Feb. 21, after press time. Check out our website for coverage from that division championship game at www.candgnews.com.

Before this season, Utica hadn’t won more than 15 games since at least 1999. The program has been building back up recently, winning 12 games last year after winning seven two seasons ago.

“That’s something our kids really wanted to build on this year,” Kraemer said about the success. “I think the last couple years, our chemistry was sometimes lacking for a lot of different reasons. That’s something they worked on in the offseason; that’s what we continue to work on daily in practice and in games.”

Senior center Josh Hart, a three-year varsity player, said the team’s experience and hard-work ethic has pushed it back toward the top.

“It’s helped us a lot,” he said. “The past three years that I’ve been on the team, we’ve gone through a lot of downs. But this year, we’ve turned it around. Because of all the experience, we know how to finish games and come back on teams.

“All the guys on the team put in a lot of hard work. They all did as much as possible to make our game better,” Hart continued. “Practice is a lot more serious this year. We’ve just got a lot more seriousness about our team, and we want to win.”

And win they have, thanks to a mixture of balance and talent.

“We have a very good offense,” said senior Mighael Hollingsworth, who’s been on the varsity four years. “I think we get to the basket with ease, and we have 3-point shooters. If everyone’s clicking, I think we’re going to be pretty hard to stop.”

The guard said the team’s inside and outside threats “make it a lot tougher for people to guard us.”

“It’s kind of hard to stop both,” he said.

See if the Crusaders of Macomb Lutheran North can stop the Chieftains when Utica plays host at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in their regular-season home finale.

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