BEND BUT DON'T BREAK: NCA Jets On Top Again

EAST LANSING---The North Central Jets were tested by a tough opponent Saturday in the Class D State Championship game at Michigan State University's Breslin Center.

An 18-point lead was all of a sudden trimmed to four by Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, and the Lakers had fans from the University of Detroit Jesuit team cheering them on in their comeback efforts. But the Jets regrouped and pulled away down the stretch to post a 59-48 victory to win their second straight state championship.

North Central has now won 55 straight games over two consecutive perfect seasons, and has won 80 of its last 81 games over the past three campaigns.

Jason Whitens led the Jets on Saturday with 16 points. Dawson Bilski added 15.

The Lakers jumped to a quick 5-0 lead, but Bilski nailed a pair of threes to put the Jets in front. Troy Ekberg added three baskets and the Jets led 14-9 after the first quarter.

Waterford cut the NCA lead to 19-17 in the second quarter, but then Whitens, the Associated Press Class D Player of the Year, scored two three-pointers and made a lay-up. It was a personal 8-2 run by Whitens.

Those were his first points of the game, and the Jets had a 27-19 lead at halftime. And the beginning of the third quarter was all Jets, too, as Ekberg scored on a basket...plus the foul...making it a 32-22 game. Then Bobby Kleiman made a three. And then a lay-up by Kleiman. And then a three by Whitens. All of a sudden, it was a 40-22 Jets.

So, the rout was on. Or was it? It seemed like the Jets would have an easy path to the championship trophy. But not so fast!

The Lakers went on a big run to end the third quarter, with Noah Rodak and Andrew Kline each scoring twice. Devin Senerius scored on a layup with ten seconds to go in the third quarter, and all of a sudden, Our Lady was within 43-36.

“That’s the biggest run somebody’s gone on us in a while, so I was interested in seeing how our kids were going to handle it coming out for the fourth quarter,” North Central coach Adam Mercier said.

“They were playing harder than us, to be honest. We kinda got lazy, and they came out and wanted to hit us in the mouth,” Whitens said. “We took their shot, and we’ve taken shots all year. We just had to take it in and battle back. But they moved the ball real well, (Andrew) Kline’s a great player, and it’s just a great team over there.”

In the fourth quarter, a three-pointer by Kline brought the Lakers to within 49-45, as close as they had been since the second quarter. The Jets responded, however, with senior Morgan Cox getting a lay-up and Marcus Krachinski coming off the bench to nail a three-pointer. With 3:41 left in the game, North Central led, 54-45.

“Morgan’s basket was huge. We got a steal in there, I think too. And we executed some plays – my kids were probably shocked. I don’t call many plays,” Mercier said. “Their mental focus was great to start that fourth quarter. They understood that this (Our Lady) team was a very good team. I know we were favorites and everything, but anytime you’ve got a state finalist in football, they’re going to be kids that don’t back down.”

The Jets clamped on the defense and made their free throws down the stretch, and Mercier was able to get his bench in the game...including seniors Cox, Ekberg, and Bryce Holle, who walked off the MSU Breslin Center court with two state championships.

North Central made nine three-point baskets in the game, with four of them by Bilski and three by Whitens. Ekberg scored eleven points and Kleiman eight for the Jets.

“This year we had a couple blowouts, and they’re still fun,” Bilski said. “But being together having close games, it shows who we are and if we’ll fall apart or not. As you can see, we didn’t fall apart tonight.“

Kline led Waterford Our Lady (22-5) with 22 points. Senerius added 17 points.