Alcona next for 4-1 Hurons

There will be no rest for the Hurons from now until tournament time. After more off days than game days the past few Tuesdays and Fridays, coach Karl Grambau?s team has no open dates from now until tournament time. Speaking of tournament time, the Hurons will have a look at the Alcona squad and its gymnasium on Friday as they face the Tigers. ?I have a great group of kids and we are looking forward to Friday?s game at Alcona. We want to play well in Alcona, partly because that is where our district tournament will be held,? Grambau said.

The Hurons faced Class B Sault Ste. Marie last Friday before a full house at RCHS, losing 62-58 to the Blue Devils for their first loss of the season. After playing to an 11-11 tie after the first quarter of action, the Hurons fell behind 20-15 with 5:26 left in the quarter when Grambau called timeout. The team responded by beating the Soo press as senior point guard Andy Tulgestke set up Cody Wirgau for a two-pointer under the basket. Wirgau, who led the team with 15 points, scored two minutes later, off a pass from junior guard Bret Karsten. Scott Grulke?s basket with 1:17 showing on the clock cut the lead to 28-25.

A HURON turnover set up the final Soo basket of the quarter before Scott Kowalewsky tipped in a rebound to make the score 30-27 at the half. With each team pressing and running the floor, spectators were treated to an upbeat game of high school basketball. The Hurons could get no closer than a half dozen in the third quarter, as they trailed 47-41 after three quarters. Kowalewsky scored 12, Bret Karsten added 11, Grulke and Tulgestke each had four. Kowalewsky had 12 rebounds and Wirgau had four. Bret Karsten did a nice job finding the open man as he had 10 assists. Karsten also had four steals. Rogers City had 21 two-point baskets while the Sault had 19 two-pointers. Both teams had five three-pointers but the difference was at the free throw line where the Hurons were just one-of-four while the Blue Devils were 9-of-17.

? IT WAS A great game, we had a big crowd, we just came up a little short. I think we got everyone involved on offense which will be a key for us as the season progr

esses,? Grambau said. ?We had 18 assists as a team, which is great. It is so much easier when you throw the extra pass. We were out-rebounded and that is something we will work to correct. We will expand on the positive things we did and improve on some of the things we could have done better.? Last Wednesday (January 3) the Hurons defeated Inland Lakes, 53-31. Karsten had 19 points to go along with six assists and four steals. Tulgestke had eight points, Kowalewsky had 10 rebounds, and Eric Kieliszewski had eight rebounds. ?Everyone got lots of minutes in the game which was nice after the break,? Grambau said.

THE HURON JV squad improved to 3-2 with wins over Inland Lakes and the Soo. Rogers City led 23-7 after the first quarter with Inland Lakes and 45-18 at halftime. Pat Quaine scored 14, Jordan Zempel and Devon Ferris each had 12, while Justin Idalski scored 10 points in the win. The Hurons led all the way in a 65-51 win over Sault Ste. Marie Friday. The Soo closed to within nine points in the fourth, but the Hurons remained in control. The home team led 13-6 after the first quarter and 38-21 at halftime. Idalski paced the scoring attack with 19 points while Kevin Fairbanks added 12. The Hurons travel to Inland Lakes Tuesday and play at Rudyard January 19.