Jets take off
North Central routs Rockets for 57th straight hoops win
POWERS — What is domination?
Try this on for size. North Central scored 14 straight points over the opening 3:52 of the second quarter. When Rapid River finally got on the board in that stanza, Sam Orth scored the team’s 14th point.
Buoyed by that streak, the two-time reigning Class D state champion Jets went on a rampage and pounded the Rockets 92-39 here Thursday in a Skyline Central Conference boys basketball game.
It marked the 57th straight victory for the Jets, who face two tough road tests before the holiday break, visiting Carney-Nadeau Wednesday and Menominee Dec. 19. That game at Menominee has been moved ahead from Feb. 13.
North Central coach Adam Mercier said “we can’t look ahead to the next one. We have to be ready (for C-N) mentally and physically for a dogfight in their gym.”
The Jets are just eight wins shy of equalling Chassell’s state record, but Mercier and senior Dawson Bilski both said that is not their focus.
“We’re not even concerned about that,” Mercier said of Chassell’s all-time mark.
Bilski, who poured in 34 points with some dazzling perimeter marksmanship, said “that is not our focus. We want to win another state championship. That (win streak record) is in the back of our mind. Our big focus is on the state championship.”
Bilski, a Michigan Tech recruit, was 7-of-11 beyond the 3-point arc and 12-of-18 overall.
“It is nice how the guys on my team get me wide open. They drive to the hoop and kick it back out,” he said, noting each player takes between 100 and 200 shots beyond the arc at every practice.
The Jets led 45-20 at halftime, then Bilski hit five straight triples at the end of the third quarter as part of a 15-2 burst for a 67-26 spread to kick in the running clock.
“Dawson is definitely a one of a kind ballplayer,” said Rapid River
coach Rich Poma. With Bilski on target, the Jets hit 37-of-65 field goals overall and were 13-of-32 beyond the arc. Jason Whitens added 18 points and Trenton Schaff hit 10.
“We’ve got to keep shooting the basketball,” said Mercier. “Good things happen when we work around the perimeter and attack the hoop.”
Poma said “they are a well-oiled machine.”
The Jets also played solid defense, seldom allowing the Rockets good looks. “We did a better job staying between our guys and the basket in the last three quarters,” said Mercier.
That burst to open the second quarter got the Jets rolling after a rather ordinary opening period. “We have to keep in mind that we have to keep plugging along and learn where our weaknesses are,” said Mercier.
Despite the one-sided loss, Poma was able to find some positive points.
“There were a lot of bad points we can grow from,” he said. “Transition defense is one of them. Thankfully they showed us what we need to work on.”
He said it is a difficult assignment for normal Class D teams to match up with the explosive Jets. “How do you defend in a zone when they shoot over the top or in a man they beat us off the dribble and drive and kick it back,” he asked.
The Rockets, who hit 18-of-46 field goals and had 22 turnovers, make their home debut Monday against Bark River-Harris.
North Central, which had just three turnovers, won the jayvee game 50-29.
R. River 12 8 11 8 — 39
N. Central 21 24 31 16 — 92
Rapid River — LaCasse 2, T. Sundling 3, Gustafson 2, Pilon 3, Hardwick 9, Landis 8, Orth 8, Berglund 4. FT: 1-3; F: 10; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals – Sundling 1, Pilon 1.
North Central — Schaff 10, Krachinski 9, Polfus 5, Dombrowski 6, Bilski 34, Kleiman 6, Whitens 18, Snyder 4. FT: 5-10; F: 7; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals – Schaff 2, Dombrowski 2, Bilski 7, Krachinski 1, Polfus 1.