Hentkowski and Ciarkowski earn all-state honors
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
Posen boys? basketball head coach Steve Hentkowski said it from the very beginning of the season. Opponents could try to slow or stop one or two of his three major scoring threats, but couldn?t defend them all. Senior Shane Hentkowski and juniors Jerome Ciarkowski and David Kerr combined for nearly 1,110 combined points during the 2010-11 season. All three have been honored with postseason awards, including two being named to all-state teams. Hentkowski was on the Associated Press? Class D team as an honorable mention and earned first-team honors from the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM). He also made the North Star League?s (NSL) first-team squad.
?His leadership was paramount to our success,? the coach said. ?He would change things on the floor, and was like an extra coach out there, and took over a couple of games late.? He finished the season with four double-doubles. His final scoring tally was 323, for a scoring average of 13. He had 111 as
CIARKOWSKI WAS a BCAM all-state honorable mention and earned first-team honors in the NSL. ?He had a fantastic year,? said Hentkowski. ?He turned his game up a couple of notches in the second half of the season. He was a huge part of our success.? He scored four double-doubles. He led the Vikings with 399 points, 81 steals and 201 rebounds. His single game total of 28 was the best of the season. Kerr made second-team all-conference.
?He was a fun player to watch, and a tremendous athlete,? said Hentkowski. He was second in scoring with 374 points, but was Posen?s best free-throw shooter at 72 percent. He also forced the pressure and led the team in trips to the line. ?He was slighted,? said Hentkowski, believing the junior was deserving of more when league honors were announced and should have been included with the first-team. He had three double-doubles. The Vikings finished with a 23-2 record.