Siena Heights University exploring adding football

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN — President Sister Peg Albert knows its a question many have wondered about around the Siena Heights University community for some time.

And she believes now is the time to seriously ponder if Siena Heights should add football as an intercollegiate sport.

Siena Heights announced Monday its plans to explore implementing a football program. A task force led by Siena athletic director Fred Smith, and also including former Adrian College football coaches Jim Lyall and Jeff Hancock, will explore the idea over the next few months and determine if adding the sport makes sense.

“I think it was time to address it in a serious way,” said Albert, who expects an answer over the next six months.

“We’ve been talking about it for a long time. We thought that as we look toward the future and look at programs for the future, maybe it’s time to wrestle with the question and make a decision one way or the other.”

Siena Heights would be the second school in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference to add football if it decides to start a team. Concordia announced plans to start a football program last July and is planning to play a club schedule this fall.

Siena currently offers eight men’s (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, volleyball) and seven women’s (basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, volleyball) intercollegiate teams. The school announced last week its plans to add men’s and women’s bowling for the 2010-11 academic year.

While those programs have been valuable parts of the school, Albert believes football can enhance the campus community.

“I think it has the ability to draw people together and create a school spirit that is advantageous,” Albert said. “We really want to be able to influence young people in many different ways. This would give people the opportunity to come to our school that wouldn’t have come before. I think it would excite the community and be a proud opportunity for students.”

Lyall, who was the head coach at Adrian College for 20 years before being fired in November, agrees.

“I think its something that not only Siena Heights, but Lenawee County would embrace,” said Lyall, who was approached by Siena Heights on the subject just before Christmas. “It’s a NAIA scholarship school and Lenawee County loves their football. I think it would provide a great opportunity for the community to see more football and to be actively involved in the building process.”

Lyall and Hancock are thankful for the opportunity and will have the task next of gathering information to see if adding football makes sense for Siena Heights. Hancock, who was the offensive coordinator at Adrian College, has coached football at the NAIA level in the past. He was the offensive coordinator at the University of Saint Mary (Kansas) during the early stages of its football program.

“I think there are some unique rules and regulations in the NAIA for football and rules for scholarships,” said Hancock, who was the offensive coordinator at Saint Mary from 2002-04. “I have a background in how scholarships work and know coaches at NAIA schools that I’ll be able to call and ask questions. I think it’s going to help (our research).”

While finding the pros and cons, Lyall and Hancock’s main objective is to see if adding football fits into the mission of Siena Heights.

“We want to make sure a football team meets the criteria, fits into the mission, will help financially and grow the population.”

Smith is looking forward to seeing what the exploration process unveils.

“There are many exciting possibilities, but also some potential challenges to beginning football at Siena Heights,” Smith said in a statement released by the school. “We know other smaller institutions like Siena have successfully added football and we will discover if football makes sense for Siena Heights.”

Reynolds emerging into star for Siena Heights men’s basketball team

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN — When he made his commitment to join the Siena Heights University men’s basketball program, Brent Reynolds envisioned having an opportunity to contribute early in his career.

He thought he was ready to step in and play a role at the varsity level as a freshman, but realized he had more to learn and improvements to make before that would become a reality.

“I came in and thought I was ready to play varsity, but after playing JV and playing down a little bit, I realized I had to learn a lot of things,” Reynolds said. “It was a good thing.”

After spending a majority of his first two seasons at the junior varsity level and being sidelined by an ankle injury last year, Reynolds has emerged as a key player in his first full season on Siena’s varsity team.

Siena Heights junior Brent Reynolds gets set to fire a shot during Saturday’s game against Concordia. After spending most of his first two years on junior varsity and being injured last season, Reynolds has emerged as a key player for the Saints. (Telegram file photo)

The junior guard’s strong play has helped the Saints return to national prominence. Reynolds, who is averaging 14.5 points and has been one of the team’s top defenders, is a large reason behind the No. 15-ranked Saints’ 15-3 record and 2-0 mark in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play.

“Basically he waited for his opportunity which is something kids aren’t always willing to do,” Siena Heights coach Al Sandifer said. “He learned our system and when he came in for postseason meetings, we told him what he needed to work on. As much as any player I’ve ever had, he went out and followed through.”

A model player
Since Sandifer has been in charge of the Siena men’s program, he has strived to have incoming freshmen start at the junior varsity level before progressing to the varsity.

He points to Reynolds as the perfect example of his ideal vision for the program.

“He’s what we hope our program is all about,” Sandifer said. “He’s someone who came here and worked his way through the program. His ball handling, quickness, strength and conditioning improved. He’s made great strides to become the player he is. We like to make him a model for most the players in the program.”

Reynolds entered the program as a strong 3-point shooter but lacked strength and needed more seasoning. Several players were also ahead of him on the depth chart, so playing on the junior varsity level gave him an opportunity to develop and improve in all areas.

As a sophomore, Reynolds saw limited action on the varsity squad. He appeared in 17 games and averaged 2.8 points while shooting 27.7 percent from the field. Reynolds had one game of 13 points, but playing time was sporadic.

“My sophomore year I didn’t play too much on varsity, but I played a lot on JV,” Reynolds said. “I pretty much had to prove myself.”

Reynolds thought his junior year — the 2008-09 season — would be the year where he could make a contribution to the varsity team. A torn tendon in his ankle delayed those plans and forced him to have to redshirt.

Despite being sidelined, Reynolds found ways to improve during his year off.

“The year Brent took off he was in the gym everyday,” Siena junior guard Mark Snipes said. “Everyday he was putting shots up. A lot of times when a player is not able to play in the game, you’ll see they take pity on themselves. I didn’t see that with Brent at all. He was in here everyday working on his game.”

During team workouts last spring, Sandifer said Reynolds was often the best player on the court. He continued to make improvements over the summer and worked his way into a starting role this season.

“Coming off an injury I worked a lot over the summer in the weight room everyday and getting up shots,” Reynolds said. “It showed and I improved. You’ve just got to put the work in. I lived in the gym pretty much.”

Exceeding expectations
After his strong showing during the offseason, Reynolds was penciled in as a starter for the Saints. The coaching staff figured he would make contributions, but thinks Reynolds has performed better than expected.

“We knew he was someone that we were going to count on,” Sandifer said. “I think he’s done better than we anticipated. He’s just playing with so much confidence and is shooting the ball with so much confidence. We’re certainly happy with where he’s at.”

Reynolds made a strong statement when he had 25 points in Siena’s season-opening win over Northwestern Ohio. He’s had four games with 20-plus points this season, including a career-high 29 in a victory against Madonna last Wednesday. Reynolds is second on the team in scoring and ranks seventh in the WHAC. He ranks third in the WHAC with 43 3-pointers and 10th with 1.5 steals per game.

His ability to knock down 3s has made things easier for his teammates.

“Brent is such a great shooter he gets everybody else easy buckets because of his ability to shoot,” Snipes said. “He’s doing well for himself but he’s making it a lot easier for everyone on the team.

“Anytime all season if I drive to the basket on Brent’s side, there’s going to be no help side. No team wants to leave Brent open. If I was a coach, I wouldn’t tell a player to leave him open either.”
Reynolds is also shooting a team-high 89.6 percent from the free throw line (43 of 48) and at one point in the season led the nation.

Sandifer is quick to point out that he’s been even more impressed with the contributions Reynolds has made defensively. At times he has been counted on to slow down the opposition’s top offensive threat and been successful.

“Most people talk about how he shoots the ball, but it’s certainly defensively where he’s made the most improvement,” Sandifer said.

With his success, Reynolds has become a marked man. He’s been named the WHAC Player of the Week twice this season and hopes to keep things going to help Siena in its quest for its first league crown since 2004.

“Hopefully I can keep it up and keep it going,” Reynolds said. “I don’t strive for (personal awards). I’m happy with us winning though.”

Mosley heating up for Adrian College

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN — Junior guard Jovon Mosley is willing to do whatever he can to help the Adrian College men’s basketball team to success.

Lately that has meant scoring.

The transfer from Northwood University has provided the Bulldogs (6-6, 1-0 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) with an offensive spark over the past month. After scoring in double digits just once in Adrian’s first five games, Mosley has reached double figures in six of the last seven contests.

Adrian College junior guard Jovon Mosley drives to the basket during a game against Defiance in November. Mosley is averaging a team-leading 12.4 points for the Bulldogs this season. (Telegram file photo)

Mosley, who is averaging a team-high 12.4 points and ranks 10th in the MIAA in scoring, has played his best over the last four games for Adrian. He has averaged 18.7 points and shot 62.5 percent (30 of 48) from the field during that span. Mosley had a season-high 24 points on 11 of 16 shooting in a 103-58 victory over Ohio State-Lima on Dec. 30, and had 22 points in Wednesday’s MIAA win over Trine.

STEPPING UP

— Jovon Mosley has emerged for Adrian over the last two weeks. Below is a look at his stats from the last four games.

Opponent  —   Points  —  FGs

DePauw —  16  —   6/12

Ohio State-Lima —   24  —  11/16

North Central (Ill.) —  13  —   5/7

Trine —  22  —  8/13

“Jovon’s got a lot of abilities,” Adrian College coach Mark White said. “He’s a first-year player so he has been working hard since day one and learning a lot every game and every day. I think he’s seeing some of the fruits of his labor and the benefits from his experience.”

In Adrian’s four games over the last two weeks, Mosley has shot at least 50 percent from the field. He also has found his touch from 3-point range and connected on 5 of his last 7 shots from behind the arc.

Coincidentally, the Bulldogs have turned in their best shooting performances of the season over the last three games. Adrian shot 47.1 percent against Ohio State-Lima, 51.1 percent in its loss to North Central (Ill.) on Saturday and 45.1 percent against Trine.

Teammates believe those higher shooting percentages are a reflection of Mosley’s strong performances.

“I know at the beginning of the season coach was getting on him about some of the moves he makes and saying that those moves weren’t going to work in college,” Adrian freshman Cody Barnes said. “He’s worked every day in practice on some moves to use in college to help him score and lately he’s been big. I know he scored big last game, and then he came out and had like 12 straight points in this game (against Trine). When he’s scoring good, everyone else is scoring good so it helps out.”

Mosley also has come up with big buckets for the Bulldogs. With Trine cutting Adrian’s 15-point lead to four late in Wednesday’s contest, Mosley had a driving bucket in the paint that helped get the Bulldogs going offensively again.

“I just try to do whatever I can for my team to win if its scoring, rebounding, dishing the ball, getting steals, playing defense or any aspect to win,” said Mosley, who also hit a pair of free throws late in the game against Trine. “That’s what I want to do. I just felt like we needed a bucket and saw an opportunity to get it. I tried to take it and luckily it worked out for us.”

Bringing the ‘D

Adrian entered this week as one of the top defensive teams in the nation. The Bulldogs ranked seventh in Division III in scoring defense and 12th in 3-point field goal defense.

The Bulldogs, who are limiting opponents to 59.2 points per game and 25.9 percent shooting from 3-point range, also lead the MIAA in field goal percentage defense (40.4) and rebounding margin (plus 3.4).

With the success Adrian has had defensively, Barnes knows the team would be better than .500 if they could have made a few more shots in several games.

“I think offensively we are coming around and that’s what really hurt us,” Barnes said. “Our first 11 games we went 5-6 and struggled to score every game. If we would’ve scored like we scored (against Trine) we would’ve won all of them except for maybe the Saginaw (Valley) game.”

Adrian College men’s basketball team wins MIAA opener

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN, Mich. — As the Adrian College men’s basketball team continues to grow, first-year coach Mark White knows they will become better at closing out games.

Until that point, the Bulldogs are content with picking up wins.

Jovon Mosley scored 22 points and Adrian held off a late Trine surge to open Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play with a 71-65 victory at the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center on Wednesday evening.

Adrian College freshman guard Cody Barnes fires a shot in Wednesday night's 71-65 win over Trine. (Telegram photo by Andrea Ellis)

“(This win) was actually huge with this being the first game in the conference,” said Mosley, who led Adrian in scoring for the fourth straight game. “We just tried to go out and set a pace for ourselves. We’ve got goals as far as winning at home so we’re trying to stick to those. Like I said, this is a big win winning at home.”

It was a win the Bulldogs (6-6, 1-0 MIAA) want to build on as they hope to exceed preseason expectations that had them tabbed to finish fifth in the league.

“It’s conference and we wanted to put our names out there because a lot of teams think they can beat Adrian from last year,” said Adrian freshman Cody Barnes, who finished with 10 points. “We want to show them, that especially when they come here to Adrian, it’s not going to be a cakewalk. We’re going to come out and play hard every game.”

Trine coach Rob Harmon was impressed by the young Bulldog team that forced his upperclassmen guards (Wes Weir, Reid McNally and Randall Harris) to combine for nine turnovers.

“They’ve got a nice team,” Harmon said. “The fact that I think seven freshmen, if I counted right, got in the game for them, and that is something I don’t like looking forward to there in the future. They did a good job and held serve on their home court. I thought we could’ve come back, and if we would’ve won I think it would’ve been a steal. We just didn’t make enough plays down the stretch.”

The Bulldogs, who led by as much as 15 in the second half, sealed the victory by closing the final three minutes of the contest strong. Trine got as close as three in the final minute, but Adrian was able to make the plays to secure the win.

Adrian went 9 of 11 from the free throw line over the final minute and 32 seconds. Barnes was 5 of 6 from the charity stripe, while Joseph Kopicki and Mosley also drained free throws.

Trine (6-6, 0-1) cut the deficit to three when Ian Jackson, who had a game-high 23 points, made a pair of free throws with 41.8 seconds left.

Barnes then drained a pair of free throws before Kopicki blocked a 3-pointer by Weir. Barnes then made two more free throws. Jackson and McNally made buckets for the Thunder in the final 30 seconds, but Kopicki sealed the win by making a pair of free throws with 6.9 seconds remaining.

“We knew Trine wasn’t going to give up and we knew that they had the ability to come back,” White said. “We had to try to finish strong like we do in every practice and every drill. As we grow as a team and mature, we’ll be able to close the games out a little bit better. But each experience we’re going to grow.”

Kopicki came off the bench to score a season-high 12 points for Adrian on perfect shooting. He was 3 of 3 from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Kopicki was also 4 of 4 from the free throw line.

Adrian College freshman guard Blair Ramsey skies for a layup in Wednesday night’s MIAA opener against Trine at the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center. The Bulldogs beat the Thunder 71-65. (Telegram photo by Andrea Ellis)

“(Adrian) had what I always call the X factor,” Harmon said. “Kopicki I think has only played in eight games and averages four points a game and all of the sudden he comes in and gets 12. Those are points that I’m sure that coach White wasn’t counting on going in to the game, and that’s a guy that comes in and hurts you.”

Jackson was 8 of 12 shooting off the bench to lead the Thunder, who have dropped two straight. Weir added 13 points.

NOTES

— Trine sophomore center Alex Croll (Sand Creek High School) finished 0-for-2 from the floor with one turnover in six minutes. Croll has been sidelined because of an injury for most of the year and Wednesday marked just his second game of the season.

— Mosley is averaging 18.7 points over Adrian’s last four games.

— Adrian freshman Dennis Mason had four blocked shots and has 10 blocks over the past two games.

Siena Heights athletics to add bowling

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN — Siena Heights University athletic director Fred Smith has had plenty of time to look into ways to enhance the school’s athletic program since stepping down from his position as men’s basketball coach after the 2005-06 season.

Over the last few years, Siena Heights has added men’s lacrosse and men’s volleyball teams to its athletic department and a school mascot to attend various events.

Siena Heights continued its growth on Tuesday when it announced plans to add intercollegiate men’s and women’s bowling teams for the 2010-11 school year.

“This is a good thing because we’ll be able to bring capable students to our university,” said Smith, who also has plans on adding a women’s lacrosse team at Siena in the near future. “They come as bowlers and leave as business persons, teachers or nurses. Really that’s what programs do at our level. It just leads to another opportunity to come to our great school. We’re really growing.”

With bowling being one of the nation’s fastest growing sports, it made sense for Siena to add it. A few schools from the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference also have bowling in place.

Davenport started its men’s and women’s bowling programs this season, while Indiana Tech and WHAC newcomer Northwest Ohio are developing teams.

“We’re trying to be on the right side of trends and meet the needs of our constituents in Lenawee County and southeast Michigan,” Smith said.

About 30 NAIA schools will have bowling next year and Smith foresees that number increasing rapidly over the next five years. In a few years he hopes there will be WHAC and NAIA championships for bowling.

“It fits obviously within our conference and the NAIA,” Smith said. “The big thing we have to do is find someone  to lead us. We have a great local bowling tradition around here and have been in discussions with Lenawee Recreation. It’s going to be another exciting endeavor to our sports programs.”

Siena hopes to have a coach to lead its bowling teams in place in the near future. Smith is uncertain if there will be a separate coach for the men and women or one coach for both teams.

Siena Heights will compete under the United State Bowling Congress Collegiate program, which hosts individual and team championships. The NAIA doesn’t sponsor bowling as a sport.

The college bowling season runs from October through February with the USBC intercollegiate team championships taking place in April and the individual championships in May.

Bulldogs halt four-game skid

Adrian College forward Ashley McClarren goes to the basket ahead of an Earlham defender during Thursday's game. McClarren had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to a 71-64 win. (Telegram photo by Bashar Alshabi)

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram

ADRIAN, Mich. — For most of December, the Adrian College women’s basketball team was in a lull.

The Bulldogs lacked energy and enthusiasm which helped contribute to a four-game losing streak.

Adrian showed signs of life in an overtime loss to Ohio Northern on Wednesday and carried that effort over into Thursday’s contest with Earlham (Ind.). Despite squandering a 14-point advantage, the Bulldogs halted their skid with a 71-64 victory over the Quakers at the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center..

The win was the first for Adrian (4-5) since a victory over Albion on Dec. 2.

“It was crucial from all aspects and just as far as a confidence standpoint,” Adrian College coach Kathy Morris said.

Senior forward Ashley McClarren was one of four Bulldogs to score in double figures and had a season-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.

“We just all got on the same page and played together,” said McClarren, who was 7 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the charity stripe. “Our enthusiasm and energy took a turn and we let everyone contribute.”

Adrian senior guard Jennifer Perrin also scored 19 points, while sophomore Jenn Headley added 11 points and nine rebounds. Anita Stamps chipped in with 10 points for the Bulldogs, who improved to 4-0 at home.

Nikki Darrett had a game-high 22 points for Earlham, which dropped its eighth straight and fell to 1-9.

An offensive foul following an illegal screen by McClarren led to a skirmish early in the second half. The skirmish at mid-court between the teams led to Earlham’s Jessica Wooden picking up a technical foul and getting ejected from the game with 17:43 remaining.

The Quakers still managed to stay close and took their first lead of the game after Darrett hit a pair of free throws with 15:10 left. After the teams were tied four times, McClarren helped the Bulldogs take control for good in the middle stages of the second half.

McClarren broke a 45-45 tie with a jumper and accounted for six points during a 17-4 spurt that helped Adrian take control of the contest.

“I felt confident,” said McClarren, who registered her first double-double of the season. “After the drama I knew I wasn’t going to let us lose.”

After three baskets by McClarren and another by Headley forced a Earlham timeout at the 8:16 mark, Katie Ross had a pair of 3s and Stamps added a 3 to give Adrian a 62-49 advantage.

The Bulldogs were able to hold on the remainder of the contest to get the victory and end their longest losing streak of the last three seasons.

“I think we were extra hungry,” McClarren said. “We’re not used to losing that many games in a row.”

NOTES
- McClarren’s previous season-high in points was the 13 she scored against Ohio Northern on Wednesday.

- Thursday marked the first game this season that Adrian senior Elysia Norris failed to score. Norris, who entered the contest averaging 10 points per game, was 0-for-3 from the floor in 23 minutes.

DeRoeck lifts No. 19 Saints to victory

Siena Heights junior guard Mark Snipes takes a shot during Wednesday’s game against Malone. Snipes had 17 points in Siena’s 79-77 victory. (Telegram photo by Andrea Ellis)

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN, Mich. – With seven post players battling for two spots, senior Jake DeRoeck has often been the odd man out for the Siena Heights University men’s basketball team in the early portion of the season.

But with the Saints needing a lift in the second half Wednesday, Siena coach Al Sandifer turned to DeRoeck for his basketball smarts. The Adrian High School graduate didn’t disappoint.

DeRoeck scored the game-winning basket with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift the NAIA Division II No. 19-ranked Saints to a 79-77 win over Malone University (Ohio) in a non-conference game at the Siena Heights Fieldhouse.

DeRoeck grabbed the rebound off a missed shot by Mark Snipes and made the putback to help the Saints (9-1) to their fifth straight win.

“(On that last play) we wanted Mark to get to the basket because that’s what he’s best at doing,” DeRoeck said. “We all just went for the ball right there (after the miss), and actually Brent Reynolds is the one who tipped it. He tipped it and it fell right in my hands. It was no cool tricks or nothing like that. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

DeRoeck, who didn’t play in the first half, finished with eight points, five rebounds and two assists in just under 13 minutes.

“What a great thing for Jake,” Sandifer said. “Jake’s had to go through some adversity with the broken bone in his face. He was playing really well for us before that happened, and then had to sit out awhile, and has had to work his way back into some playing time. It’s just really a good thing.”

Siena improved to 4-0 at home with the win and is 6-1 in games decided by five or less points this season.

Reynolds had a team-high 19 points and Snipes scored 17 for the Saints. Courtney Smith added 12 points and five rebounds off the bench and Logan Mathews added 10 points.
Kyle Higgins scored a game-high 21 points and Eric Coblentz added 18 points for Malone (2-6). Higgins and Coblentz each drained five 3-pointers during the contest for the Pioneers, who suffered their fourth straight loss.

“I thought we did some good things in stretches but we just lacked the consistency and the ability to execute in key times,” Malone coach Tim Walker said. “We just have a group of guys that are still learning to play together and are trying to learn how to win games. This is our third two-point loss in six losses.”

Siena made its return to the top-25 of the NAIA poll for the first time since the 2005-06 season on Monday, and Malone nearly pulled off its second upset win of the season. The Pioneers led 35-31 at halftime and led by as much as 11 during the second half before the Saints were able to stage a comeback.

Malone led by nine after Coblentz made a pair of free throws with 3:42 left but got a three-point play from Smith to cut into the deficit. The Saints also went 4-for-6 at the free throw down the stretch and grabbed a few key offensive rebounds during their late rally.

“I think they got three or four offensive rebounds in the last minute and a half and we missed a free throw or two down the stretch,” Walker said. “We had some empty possessions, and they were coming back and getting second opportunities. To beat a good team on the road, you’ve got to rebound the basketball and do the little things, and we didn’t do that.”

Reynolds putback a missed free throw by Smith with just under two minutes remaining to pull the Saints within two. Malone then had a shot-clock violation before the Saints tied the game at 77 on a basket by Smith.

Malone couldn’t regain the lead as Ebiowei Porbeni missed a short baseline jumper and Snipes secured the rebound. That helped set up the final possession, where DeRoeck was able to lift the Saints to another narrow win.

“It’s always fun (to come up with the big play), especially with the way our season is going,” DeRoeck said. “It was such an important game for us and we want to keep winning at home.”

NOTES
— The Saints will be without junior guard Demetrius Andrews the rest of the season. Andrews, who appeared in six games and made four starts, will have knee surgery. He is the third guard the Saints have lost for the season, joining Cory Lehman and Nick Kosovich.
“We’re trying to hold together the best we can,” Sandifer said.

— Sean Nowacyzk is scheduled to return to the Saint lineup shortly after Christmas.

— Malone upset No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan earlier this season.

Glaser makes plays for Maple defense

Adrian senior middle linebacker Greg Glaser tackles a Tecumseh ballcarrier during a game in October. Glaser is the county Defensive Player of the Year. (Telegram file photo)

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN – Greg Glaser wanted to be a good captain and a person his teammates could count on.
The Adrian High School senior middle linebacker was driven to lead by example and did just that with his play on the field.

Glaser turned in a strong fall for the Maples as he finished the regular season ranked second in the county with 127 tackles en route to earning All-State and all-league recognition. Glaser came up with many big plays to help Adrian capture an outright Southeastern Conference White Division title and make its deepest playoff run in eight years.

For his success, Glaser has been selected the county Defensive Player of the Year by The Daily Telegram’s sports staff.

“One of the top things that stands out about Greg is that he is a program kid,” Adrian coach Phil Jacobs said. “He is a product of a great tradition of linebackers that we’ve had with the career he had. His success is a testament to the type of football player and athlete he made himself into. He certainly made our program better.”

Glaser was constantly around the ball for the Maples and was the team’s leading tackler for the second straight season this fall. A three-year varsity starter, Glaser anchored a defense that limited opponents to 235 yards per game during the regular season. Adrian had two shutouts  and gave up an average of 14.5 points this fall.

“It seems like I’m always in the right place at the right time,” Glaser said. “I always worked hard in the offseason and that stuff just paid off. Watching a lot of film always helps and I watched a lot of film. I did all the little things I could try to do to be the best player and help out the team. It paid off and we had a good season.”

Glaser did more than just make tackles for the Maples as he forced four fumbles, had a pair of interceptions and also a safety. One of his biggest plays of the season was forcing Chelsea running back Nick Hill to fumble near the end zone during a key SEC contest. Adrian recovered and ended up marching down the field for the game-winning score.

“One of the biggest defensive plays that was a game-changer was the fumble at Chelsea,” Jacobs said. “When the game is on the line the kid made plays and wanted the ball run to him.”

Glaser flourished in the Adrian defensive system and used his speed to help the Maples limit athletic quarterbacks like Ypsilanti Lincoln’s Andrew Dillon, Ypsilanti’s Terrance Moore and DeWitt’s Jimmy Williams.

Glaser turned in the biggest game of his career when he had 30 tackles and recovered a fumble in a win over rival Tecumseh in October.

“He worked hard from his sophomore year until the time he was a senior,” Adrian linebackers coach Taz Wallace said. “I always talked to him about becoming a great player, and in order to be a great player you have to get better every day and every practice. He did what he had to do to be the best player, and he was that guy on the defense. People had to gameplan for Greg Glaser.”

Glaser hopes to continue his football career and is looking into attending one of the schools in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

“I want to play football and am going to play somewhere,” Glaser said.

Davis shining in scoring role

Adrian College forward Shana Davis skates up ice in the Bulldogs' 6-0 win Sunday over Chatham. (Telegram file photo)

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram

ADRIAN, Mich. — Shana Davis’ focus is on helping the Adrian College women’s hockey team in whatever way she can.

Through the early stages of the season, that has meant being a scorer.

The Florida native and sophomore forward has emerged as a key offensive performer for the Bulldogs this season as she is tied with juniors Jessica Grubbs and Stacey Kempson for the team lead in goals with four.

Davis has played a big role for Adrian (2-5, 1-1 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association) in its wins this season. She scored the go-ahead goal to help the Bulldogs to a win over Wisconsin Eau Claire in their first-ever NCHA game on Nov. 20. On Sunday, she started the scoring with a goal in the opening period of a 6-0 victory over Chatham.

“She is so skilled and she knows the game,” second-year Adrian College coach Melissa Lomanto said. “She is a player who that can play on the power play and you can put her on the penalty kill and she can play well. She is scoring some goals because she’s got patience to beat the goalie and put it by her.”

With six points (four goals and two assists) this season, Davis has matched her point total from last season. She attributes her early success to being more comfortable and used to the faster style of play.

“Pretty much it’s getting easier just to play with everybody because we’re getting to know each other so well and most of us have played together for at least a year now if not longer,” Davis said. “ … (Prenella Semma) has been on my line for most of my goals, so just getting used to playing with her has helped a lot.”

Davis will try to build on her strong start and help the Bulldogs put together their first winning streak of the season this weekend. Adrian, which has won two of its last three games, will host No. 4-ranked Wisconsin-River Falls (5-1-1, 1-1) this weekend in a key NCHA series.

Adrian, River Falls and Wisconsin-Eau Claire enter the weekend in a three-way tie for fourth place in the NCHA.

Adrian swept River Falls in January and accounted for the only time theFalcons lost back-to-back games in 2008-09 season. The Bulldogs will be looking to pull off another upset and improve their position in the league standings.

“(These games are) extremely important,” Davis. “These next games are — I can’t even tell you how important they are. If we win them that makes us 3-1 in our league, and if we lose them then we’re at 1-3. We need to win them.”

NOTES

— Semma is a point away from matching her total from last season. Semma has seven points (three goals and four assists) through Adrian’s first seven games. In 25 games last season she had three goals and five assists.

—Adrian went 3-1 against NCAA tournament teams last season, sweeping River Falls and splitting with Gustavus Adolphus.

— Wisconsin-River Falls finished fourth at the NCAA tournament last season after losing to Middlebury in the third-place game.

— River Falls won the NCHA tournament last season and was tabbed the preseason favorite.

Siena Heights keeps the Milk Jug again

Siena Heights forward Courtney Smith (right) attempts a shot while Adrian College's Anthony Strickland defends in Tuesday's Battle for the Milk Jug at The Merillat Sport and Fitness Center. Siena won 48-45. (Telegram photo by Andrea Ellis)

By Brian Calloway

Daily Telegram Sports Editor

ADRIAN, Mich. – After coming up on the short end of several close games last season, Mark Snipes and the Siena Heights University men’s basketball team have turned the tables.
The Saints have thrived in close games this season and found a way to pull out another narrow victory on Tuesday evening.

Despite struggling from the free-throw line down the stretch, the NAIA No. 28-ranked Siena Heights held on for a 48-45 victory over cross-town rival Adrian College in front of a large crowd at the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center. The win was Siena’s sixth straight over Adrian (2-3) and allowed the Saints to keep the Milk Jug for another year.

“This is only my second year pulling (games) out (in the rivalry),” said Siena Heights forward Courtney Smith, who had a game-high 14 points and eight rebounds. “They are always good close games. (It’s nice) to have the bragging rights and to beat Adrian and to be 7-1, nothing is better.”

Smith hit a key free throw with 12.7 seconds remaining to make it a three-point game and force the Bulldogs to for a tying 3.

The Saints clinched the win when Adrian senior guard Michael Staley missed a hotly-contested 3 from the arc as time expired.

“We did a great job and had a great stand,” Siena Heights coach Al Sandifer said. “We pride ourselves on our half-court defense. We pride ourselves on the fact that we can make stops when it counts and this year we’ve been able to do that.”

The Saints led by as much as seven during the second half but left the door open with their struggles at the free throw line. Siena was 2 of 11 from the charity stripe in the final seven minutes.

Brent Reynolds, who entered the contest leading the NAIA in free throw percentage, missed a pair in the final minute. Snipes was 1 of 7 down the stretch.

Still Siena was able to come away with the necessary defensive stops to improve to 4-1 in games decided by five points or fewer this season.

“Basically experience is a big thing because we played a lot of these close games last year and were on the short end of the stick,” said Snipes, who had 10 points. “We’ve been able to pull together and not get nervous in these games. I’m not going to say last year we lost because we were nervous, but now as I look into my teammates’ eyes it always seems like we’re ready to win and we’re never nervous.”

Adrian had its share of chances and was unable to capitalize. The Bulldogs were within three points the final 3:15 of the game but could never draw even or knot the score.

“It just came down to us getting lucky,” Sandifer said. “We can’t miss that many free throws down the stretch because it’s hard to pull out a win.”

Bulldog freshman guard Wes Reed had the potential go-ahead 3-pointer rim out with just under two minutes remaining. Staley had an opportunity to tie the game with 1:02 remaining but missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Delano Collins and Staley also missed potential game-tying shots in the final minute.

“We executed our defensive gameplan to the letter,” first-year Adrian coach Mark White said. “The kids did a great job defensively on a really good Siena Heights team. They are really dangerous offensively and we did a great job holding them to under 50 points and only 32 percent shooting. We out-rebounded them but we just couldn’t make any plays offensively. The people we were counting on to make plays offensively had terrible games.”

Adrian’s leading scorers — Staley and senior forward Matt Wayne — combined for 11 points on 3 of 11 shooting.

Sophomore Joseph Kopicki scored nine points and had seven rebounds to lead the Bulldogs.

Adrian had a 20-19 lead at halftime, but Siena Heights took the lead for good with an 8-0 run to start the second half. Reynolds scored all eight of those points as he hit back-to-back 3s before making a layup.

NOTES

— Adrian dedicated a scoreboard in honor of former coach Buck Riley at the game.

— Siena Heights hasn’t lost to Adrian College in an athletic event during the school year. Siena has beat the Bulldogs in men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball.

— Staley and Wayne each entered the game averaging 11 points for Adrian.

— Adrian cross country/track runner Jay Yockey (Blissfield High School) sang the national anthem.