Disappointing week for varsity basketball

Ryan Mann shoots against Vandercook Lake on Wednesday.

It was a tough week for the Dutch varsity hoops team, losing three games in a row, but their indomitable team spirit will see them through to season’s end and coach Zach Neal had some encouraging words for his players.

“We played a close game on Monday with East Jackson that was back-and-forth all game,” Neal said. “In the end, however, East Jackson pulled away to win 56-44.”

The Dutch were led against EJ by Cade VanBogelen’s 12 points.

Wednesday and Friday saw tough losses against two very tough teams (Vandercook Lake and Michigan Center). “We really tried to focus on transition defense in practice,” Neal said, “but they exploited us in that category.”

Wednesday’s score was 82-44 in favor of the Jayhawks. Neal commented that Preston MacKenzie had three 3-pointers in that game and showed great hustle on defense. VanBogelen “continued his defensive improvement.”

On Friday night, Michigan Center Cardinals knocked the Dutch on their heels. The game ended with a score of 82-20. However, Andrew Corwin, who has bounced back from multiple injuries, continues his strong senior season, according to Neal.

“Andrew hit his first three-pointer of the season, and played very aggressively on offense,” he elaborated.

This will be another challenging week as the Dutchmen face strong teams from Grass Lake, Hanover-Horton, and Napoleon on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Game times are published on the school website.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.