Posen cagers break school record for victories with win No. 22 in decisive fashion

Even with senior forward James Sobek out most of Saturday’s district championship game with the flu, the sixth-rated Posen Vikings still hammered Hillman, 68-34, to win the school’s ninth district championship and earn a place in the regional tournament at Newberry. It’s the point, fans, players, and coaches had been waiting for since Harbor Light Christian eliminated the Vikings from the tournament last year. Posen was matched up with Mackinaw City in a regional semifinal game on Tuesday. (See separate story).

The last two visits to the regional tournament (2004 & 2000) both resulted in appearances in the finals, but that’s where they ended. It has been nearly 40 years since Posen has made it out of regionals and advanced to quarterfinals (final eight), when the 1967 Posen team defeated the Northport Wildcats, 78-70.

SATURDAY’S DISTRICT championship, which was played in front of a standing-room only crowd, was a record-breaking night. The Vikes improved to 22-0, which broke the season win total of 21 set by the 2000 Posen team, and equaled last year at regionals. The Vikings also finished with a perfect 12-0 record on the home floor. The seniors wanted to end their careers in front of the home crowd with the school’s second consecutive district trophy. “When you can do it two years in a row, that’s special, especially for our senior core,” said Posen coach Ron Misiak. “The (seniors) knew that this was their last home game. Never again would these guys play together on this team, representing this school here in Posen. They took it to heart.” It marks the fourth district title in high school basketball for Posen, as the girls also have won titles the last two seasons.

HILLMAN KEPT the game close through the first eight minutes. The Tigers were down by only three points, 13-10, when Richie Kroll drained a couple of buckets to extend the lead to 17-10 before the first quarter came to an end. The Vikings stepped up the defensive intensity and buried the visitors, allowing only two points in the second quarter, and that came at the four-minute mark. Posen held Hillman scoreless for nearly six minutes through two quarters. Even though Sobek wasn’t feeling the best, Misiak allowed him into the game and he matched the Tigers’ scoring total in the second quarter with a bucket himself. Aaron Hincka scored six of his game-high 22 points in the quarter. He also had a game-high 15 rebounds. The halftime lead was 33-12, and the eventual district champs were well on their way, but not completely through with showing how potent they are on both ends of the floor.

MATT PONIK started the third quarter with eight of the first 10 points

scored for Posen as part of a 10-2 run. The Vikings had a 30-point lead by the end of the third quarter after an 8-2 run, with six of those points coming from Hincka. The running clock, of 35 points or more, got rolling early in the fourth quarter on a basket by Hincka. Kroll extended the lead to 41, 68-27, with a three-point bomb, before the Tigers whittled that down to 34 points. To the delight of cheering fans, tournament manager Cliff Kelly handed out district championship medals to the players and the district tournament trophy to Misiak, who becomes the only boys’ coach to capture back-to-back titles.

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