LBI’s Mid-Michigan Mega Scrimmage Preview
Midland, MI - The 1st Annual Mid-Michigan Mega Scrimmage (formally the FLI- CITY Showdown) will be held this Saturday at Midland Dow High School. Many of the top teams from the Saginaw Valley Conference and the mid-Michigan area will be on display giving fans and coaches a preview of what is in store for the 2015-16 season. Other teams joining the party are: Dearborn Heights Robichaud, Waterford Kettering, Williamston, Wayne Memorial, Bay City John Glenn, Flint Powers and Okemos. These teams will battling each other is a great way to end the pre-season. The regular season tips off on Monday November 30 across the state.
Flint Carman-Ainsworth Cavaliers
Second year head coach Lance Belill has a lot to be excited about. Senior guard Randi Richardson will be returning after missing last year with an ACL injury. Randi brings lots of energy to the game as well as the type of leadership that most coaches dream of. Senior Harmany Williams is a very fast guard that finished last season strong and has shown lots of improvement in her game. Her speed will help her be a pest on the defensive end and create havoc in an open court offensively. LBI’s 2019 #6 ranked Destiny Strother can score in bunches from many spots on the floor but is most deadly from 3 point range. The 5’9’ guard is a legitimate D1 recruit. This weekend Carman Ainsworth will be a team to watch as they prepare to go after a Saginaw Valley-South conference championship.
Okemos Chiefs
Coming off a 5-16 record last season, things look very promising for Okemos this upcoming season as freshman Laya Hartman enters the mix for the Chiefs. The 5’10” guard is already a high major recruit that will look to show everyone this weekend why many top programs have already offered her a scholarship. Okemos may not win tons of games this upcoming season, but opponents better beat them now because the future is very bright for the Chiefs.
Midland Chemics
Midland is a team that people should put on their radar. If the Chemics weren’t in the same district with Midland Dow and Saginaw Heritage, you would hear much more about them. Point Guard Sadie DeWildt is an underrated player that is more than capable of having a big night. Add post player Skylar Howard, and Alex VanSumeren, Jayden Williams and Maddie Barrie you have a team that can compete with anyone in the state on any given night.
Howell Highlanders
New Head Coach Tim Olszewski takes over a program that will immediately compete for a KLAA title. Leading the way for the Highlanders is 6’1” post Erin Honkala and sophomore point guard Alexis Miller. We will get to see just how competitive the Highlanders can be as they will face Bay City John Glenn, Saginaw Heritage and Dexter this weekend.
Games to Watch
Saginaw Heritage vs. Bay City John Glenn
This matchup will feature two of the top teams in the state. Both programs have a chance to represent their respective class in East Lansing come March. Bay City John Glenn post Cassidy Boesch will be a handful for the Hawks to match-up with inside, but the Hawks have the athleticism to give the Bobcats fits with sophomore Jaela Richardson, Jessie Bicknell and freshman Moria Joiner. We are also looking forward to seeing a big contribution from freshman Shine Strickland who has made a name for herself already. The “Big Time Talent” alarm will be sounding off for this game.
Midland Dow vs. Williamston
We will get to see just how good Williamston sophomore post player Allison Peplowski is when she squares off against one of the top players in the 2017 class, 6’2” Kaylee Wasco. Wasco can do it all on the offensive end of the floor. She can score with either hand on the block, knock down the mid-range jumper and drill the three-point shot. The Chargers will need to pay close attention to Williamston’s sophomore guard Maddie Watters, as she can really stretch the defense with her perimeter shooting. This will be a good one to watch.
