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Dmonta Harris 'complete' player for undefeated New Haven

2/28/2015

Dmonta Harris

By Chuck Klonke
@MIPrepZoneMD on Twitter

New Haven coach Tedaro France II expects a late-night text message whenever the Rockets have a high-stakes game scheduled for the next day.

When he checked his phone Thursday night, the sender was Dmonta Harris with a special request.

“Each time before we have a big game he’ll text me and say, ‘Coach, let’s get in the gym before school,’” France said after Harris scored 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds Friday in the undefeated Rockets’ 51-43 victory against Mount Clemens in a battle of Macomb Area Conference division champions.

Harris came in early to work on his ball-handling skills because he knew he’d need to be at his best against the scrappy Bathers.

“I knew this was going to be a game where I’d have to show my dribbling ability,” he said. “I knew this was a good defensive team, so I was trying to work on my left hand to be more versatile.”

France isn’t surprised by Harris’ willingness to put in the extra work.

“Dmonta is having a great year,” France said. “I may be biased, but to me, he’s the best player in the county because he does so much. He can rebound, shoot the 3-point shot, defend — he’s the complete package for a player.

“He could score a lot more points but he’s so unselfish. I sometimes have to tell him, ‘You’ve got to score.’ But he gets the whole team involved. Then when he takes off, he really takes off. He’s a great kid and a great teammate. He made some big shots at key times. We have some plays designed for him and he came through and knocked them down. He’s a big-time player. He’s been doing it all year.”

When New Haven went on a 16-0 run in the third quarter Friday, Harris scored eight of the points, including a pair of 3-point baskets.

Harris is content to let his teammates share the wealth. However, he’s ready to step up when it’s crunch time.

“I don’t want anybody to feel like he’s not eating, so to speak,” Harris said. “I want to spread things around. I know at the end of the day, I can turn it on when I feel like it.”

More often than not, that’s exactly what he does.

PURCELL: New Haven Boys Baskeball setting new program standards, finds 'swagger'

2/28/2015

New Haven is 19-0 and looking to continue to roll into the Class B boys basketball tournament. (Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com)

By Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com
on February 28, 2015 8:30 AM

The New Haven boys basketball team is one win away from completing a 20-0 regular season.

Beating arch rival Mt. Clemens, 51-43, on Friday night in the MLive Detroit Game of the Week was another one of its big moments in its historic season.

Already locking up the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division title and a No. 2 ranking in Class B by the Associated Press, New Haven is having one of its best seasons ever and its best as a member of the MAC.

It only makes sense that New Haven's success has come thanks in part to one of its best rosters ever. With six players between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-11, the Rockets' have a blend of size, athleticism and skill that it rarely sees.

Led by the scoring of senior Dmonta Harris, who is averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds per game, New Haven is in uncharted waters as the state tournament looms on March 9.

"It's overwhelming," Harris said of New Haven's success this season. "It's really overwhelming. It's amazing. It's really a blessing from God to think that we were put into a position and given the opportunity to work hard and see how hard work pays off."

With Harris joining the team for the first time this season after transferring from Waterford Mott, New Haven knew it had a chance to be good with a core group of player returning.

Still, what New Haven has been able to accomplish this season has even surprised the players.

"I knew we were going to be pretty good but not this good," Harris admitted. "I never thought that we'd be undefeated. I never would have imagined that."

New Haven coach Tedaro France knew that there was more potential than people thought. Getting a road win was something that France knew was possible despite Mt. Clemens being the MAC Blue Division champion and the fact that New Haven had lost the previous four meetings.

"It just shows how hard we work," France said. "Our kids are dedicated to each other ... It's just a big win for us. It's always tough to come in here and win. When you come in here and win, it's always a great win."

Despite the atmosphere and pressure of the game - and even coming out with some lackluster play in the first half - New Haven showed in the second half that it is a team to be taken seriously in Class B and will look to keep its unbeaten season going on for as long as possible.

New Haven has found a new level of swagger.

"We try to hold ourselves to that standard," Harris said. "That standard of being one of the top competitive teams in Class B. So, we have to hold ourselves to that standard, that swagger. The sort of way that, going into the game, we are something, we are somebody.

"We're not just any old team. We're a team that comes together. We're a team that's ranked up there. We think about that every game."

New Haven 51, Mt. Clemens 43: Dmonta Harris erupts in fourth quarter to keep Rockets undefeated

2/27/2015

Dmonta Harris

By Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com
on February 27, 2015 9:20 PM

MT. CLEMENS -- One of the biggest problems that New Haven boys basketball coach Tedaro France has with Dmonta Harris is not really much of a problem at all.

Harris, a senior star scorer that is averaging 20.5 points per game, is actually thought of as being a little too unselfish with the basketball, according to France.

However, on Friday night in the MLive Detroit Game of the Week, it took Harris until the end of the game to get a bit more selfish against rival Mt. Clemens and it ended up paying off.

It paid off big time.

Scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter, as well as hitting a 3-pointer in the late stages of the third, Harris carried the Rockets to a 51-43 win over their rivals, keeping New Haven's undefeated record in tact at 19-0.

"When it is time to step up and take over the game, he does that," France said of Harris. "He's a guy that's having a great, great year. He stepped up and made some plays, big time. We ran a few plays for him and he stepped up and made some great plays."

Harris finished with a game-high 19 points for his effort. Transferring into New Haven from Waterford Mott this season, this was Harris' first experience with in the Mt. Clemens (13-5) rivalry.

"Being a transfer, I'm not really as used to the rivalry as some," Harris said. "It still means a lot because I know that the community supports me a lot ... Whatever I can do to help and come out and get a victory like this, make everybody happy, that's what really matters."

After the game was tied at 41-41 with 4:06 to play, Mt. Clemens struggled from the field, missing some key layups and fast break opportunities. The Battling Bathers shot just 1-for-8 from the field the rest of the way.

"We should have won that game," Mt. Clemens coach Willie Betts said. "But we're young and we're still learning. We haven't been in a good fight like this. This was our first one. I think we did a damn good job."

After scoring just four points in the second quarter and going 2-for-8 from the field, New Haven trailed just 21-18 at halftime.

"We knew that (Mt. Clemens) was going to come in and they were going to play a great game," France said. "We just had to stay close and stay in the game because we are a team that has a tendency to start slow. In the second half, it was time to stretch out our play ... You could see, in the first half, the nerves. The kids just had to settle down."

Mt. Clemens had to play without senior Josh Mills for the final six minutes of the game after he fouled out.

Key to the Game

New Haven got as hot from the field as it could get to close out the third quarter and start the fourth quarter. During its 16-0 run in that time period, New Haven shot 6-for-7 from the field while Mt. Clemens was 0-for-4 in the same span, as well as 0-for-2 from the free-throw line.

New Haven Highlights

Austin Sherrell had 12 points for New Haven while John Galloway added 11 more points to round out the double figure scoring for the Rockets

Mt. Clemens Highlights

Devin Felts had a team-high 15 points for the Rockets while Daniel Miller added 13 points.

New Haven rallies, defeats Mount Clemens in Battle of Division Champs

2/27/2015

Marquis Perkins

By Chuck Klonke
@MIPrepZoneMD on Twitter

When it comes to basketball rivalries in Macomb County, New Haven vs. Mount Clemens is one of the best.

For several seasons, the two schools battled for supremacy in the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division, then took their rivalry to the state playoffs where they often met for a Class C district title. Mount Clemens moved up to the MAC Blue this year and won the division title. New Haven took the MAC Gold.

“You can take the records away, you can take the stats away. This is a true rivalry game,” said Rockets coach Tedaro France II after his team remained undefeated Friday with a hard-earned 51-43 victory against the Bathers before a packed gym in the MIPrepZone.com/Macomb -Macomb Daily Game of the Week.

“We had a slow start because we get so worked up for this game. It takes time for the kids to calm down and get into the flow. My kids made plays down the stretch to win this game. We’re always going to get teams’ best, but my kids seem to find a way to win.”

Mount Clemens coach Willie Betts was pleased with the Bathers’ performance.

“We came here to play,” said Betts. “We showed New Haven we came to play. Down the stretch we had some turnovers that cost us the game. We’re still learning. We haven’t been in a big fight like that. It’s our first one and I think they did a darn good job.

“We’ll take the next game, take a step up and get ready for the district. Overall, it was a good job — a very well-played game.”

There were several ties and lead changes in a first half that ended with the Bathers leading 21-18 on baskets by Devin Felts and Destin Jones in the final two minutes. Mount Clemens started the second half the same way it finished the first and with 3:20 left in the third quarter the Bathers stretched their lead to 31-20 after consecutive layups by Josh Mills and Felts.

That set the stage for another of the Rockets’ patented runs. A putback by Dmonta Harris triggered a 16-0 spurt that was capped by a 3-point basket by Harris. Harris, who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, had seven points in the run.

As usual, Harris did most of his offensive damage in the second half, scoring 13 points after the break.

Harris said that the Rockets don’t feel extra pressure from being 19-0 with one regular-season game remaining.

“We know we’re undefeated. We know we’re ranked, but we tell ourselves we haven’t won anything yet,” he said. “The big title is in the playoffs. We won the regular season games but we have to show what we’re made of in the playoffs.”

Harris said that Friday’s game was one of the toughest the Rockets have played this season.

“Warren Woods-Tower (an overtime win) was the toughest but this took a lot of drive and energy because it’s a rivalry game,” he said. “The intensity and atmosphere was different tonight. It was a great win for us.”

Mount Clemens wouldn’t let New Haven relax after its third-quarter spurt put the Rockets ahead 36-31. The Bathers regained the lead with six straight points, five by Daniel Miller. A 3-pointer by Harris put New Haven back in front. The game was tied at 41-all with 4:06 to play after two free throws by Felts.

A basket by Austin Sherrell put the Rockets ahead to stay and Jerry Ben followed with a layup for a 45-41 lead with three minutes to go.

“We got down by 11 in the third quarter but there was never a doubt that we were going to win this game,” France said. “In the huddle the kids were saying ‘we’re not going to lose this game.’ That’s the will and the heart these kids show. Mount Clemens played a tough, tough game. They’re a scrappy team. They slowed us down with their zones, but we were patient and found gaps and made plays down the stretch.

“This is the type of game we’re going to be in when March comes. It’s a big test for us. What better game than two league champs playing.”

Sherrell finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. John Galloway had 11 points and five rebounds for the Rockets.

Felts led Mount Clemens with 15 points and Miller had 13. Jones and Justice Stubbs grabbed seven rebounds apiece. Miller had four assists.

New Haven clinches MAC Gold championship

2/24/2015

By George Pohly
@GPohly

Josh Harris has been in his coach’s doghouse at times this boys basketball season.

On Tuesday, he was the top dog.

Harris came off the bench and scored a season-high 28 points Tuesday night to lead visiting New Haven to an 84-74 victory over Lincoln and the outright championship of the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.

Dmonta Harris added 21 points, and John Galloway scored nine points in the final 3:50 as the undefeated Rockets overcame a slow start and won for the 18th time while clinching their first Gold title.

“It’s amazing,” Galloway said after the Rockets improved to 11-0 in the Gold. “Winning with the guys here and coach (Tedaro) France is amazing.”

Josh Harris also had 15 rebounds and senior Austin Sherrell contributed a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as New Haven won before a crowd that included Detroit Mercy basketball coach Ray McCallum plus Lincoln graduate and former Macomb County Sheriff William Hackel.

“It was a great game,” France said. “Lincoln’s guards are tough. We took the blows and our team stayed composed. We found a way to win.

“Sometimes it doesn’t look very good, but the results have wound up good. One thing this group does well is it plays hard.”

Le’Ronn Moore scored 21 points and Marcus Panyek and Julian Moore had 18 each for Lincoln (3-7, 7-9). Djuan Drake added 15.

The Abes trailed 64-61 with 4:29 left, but Galloway made two free throws and a basket in a span of 31 seconds, and his consecutive field goals with less than two minutes to play put New Haven ahead 80-71.

“If we execute a little better, take a few better shots, maybe box out a little better, maybe we would have had an opportunity to win the game in the final minute rather than having to foul and make them make free throws,” McGavin said.

New Haven joined the Gold Division when the school entered the MAC in 2004-05 following a couple of years as an independent after the breakup of the Southern Thumb Association, the Rockets’ long-time home.

New Haven finished second to Madison in its first Gold season, and was runner-up to Mount Clemens each of the last three years, but had never won a division championship.

“It’s another special moment for our program,” France, who led New Haven to 21 victories and the state Class C quarterfinals in 2011-12.

Lincoln aimed to make the Rockets wait to clinch the outright championship as the Abes led 17-9 after one quarter and 22-9 early in the second quarter.

“We’re a good team,” Lincoln coach Jeff McGavin said. “We played well.”

But Josh Harris scored 12 of the Rockets’ first 18 points, and senior Dmonta Harris, who is not related to Josh, made consecutive 3-point field goals late in the second quarter, which ended with Lincoln clinging to a 35-33 lead.

Josh Harris made four free throws in the fourth quarter as the Rockets built a 60-57 lead, and New Haven eventually led 70-63 with 3:19 to go.

“We’re undefeated right now,” Josh Harris said. “I wanted to keep it that way.”

The performance by 6-foot-6 Josh Harris, a state high hurdles champion last spring, pleased France, who said he has been hard on the senior.

“I knew he could be a special player,” France said. “He’s been in my doghouse from time to time because I’ve been trying to get it out of him. It’s been tough love.

“Tonight he broke out of his shell. He played his best game since he’s been here.

“Now we know we can rely on him for games that are coming up. It’s good to see certain guys step up toward the end of the season.”

New Haven plays a MAC crossover game at Mount Clemens on Friday, and the Rockets wrap up their Gold schedule next week against Madison.

Lincoln plays Warren Woods-Tower on Wednesday.

Undefeated New Haven holds off Ford

2/19/2015

Dmonta Harris

By Chuck Klonke
@MIPrepZoneMD

New Haven's basketball team is going to get everyone's best shot for the rest of the year.

That's what happens when a team is 17-0 and ranked near the top of the state polls.

Rockets coach Tedaro France II doesn't mind having that bulls-eye on his back.

"I'm glad we have games like this," France said Thursday after New Haven held off an inspired Ford team 73-64 in a Macomb Area Conference crossover game that was The Macomb Daily Game of the Week. "That will prepare us for the state tournament and it will humble these kids knowing that we're going to get the best from each team.

"A team may be having a bad year but they're going to play big against us. We're going to get their best. We have to prepare for that every time. We have a big bulls-eye on our back."

New Haven struggled some against the Falcons' half-court trap and committed 18 first-half turnovers. The game was tied at 26-all at halftime on Ford's Alex Ott's 3-point buzzer beater.

"I have to take my hat off to Ford," France said. "They played a great game and had a great game plan. We had kind of a slow start but that was because (Ford) came out with great fire.

"At the end of the year teams prepare well. We have to learn how to win close games. We're learning how to play when the game is close. Sometimes when you play with a big lead you can't really learn."

The turnovers were part of Ford's game plan.

"Based on what we saw on film, we thought we could get after them and force some turnovers," said Falcons coach Jeff Olson. "They're big and they use that to their advantage. They're tough to beat but we thought we could pressure their guards a little bit and that kept us in the game.

The Rockets made one of their patented runs early in the second half, outscoring the Falcons 16-6 to open a 42-32 lead with just under four minutes to play in the third quarter. Innocent Nwoko capped the run with a pair of baskets, including an emphatic dunk.

New Haven led 48-39 after three quarters and had its biggest lead of the game, 56-41, midway through the fourth quarter after a layup by Dmonta Harris, who led the Rockets with 24 points.

"One bad quarter and that was the ball game," Olson said. "It was a run that was fueled by the fact that we struggled to defensive rebound. It might have been 10-1 in offensive rebounds (for New Haven) in the third quarter.

"it's tough to come back from that but we did and we made it interesting. I'm proud of our effort. We executed the game plan and I feel good about it. I told my boys it was good but not good enough. They're a great team, extremely well-coached and they're going to do a lot of good things this year but our kids battled."

Ford closed the gap to 62-56 on a 3-point basket by Alex Iafrate with 1:55 remaining. It was one of nine triples by the Falcons. New Haven hit just enough free throws down the stretch to maintain its lead. The back-breaker for Ford was when New Haven's Marquis Perkins hit a short jump shot and Josh Harris stole the in-bounds pass and made a basket to extend the Rockets' lead to 70-59 with 1:05 left.

"Our kids never quit," France said. "Ford shot the ball well. They struggled coming inside against us but they knocked down some 3-point shots. We didn't play well as a team but we made plays at key times when we needed them. We played hard but we didn't always play real smart. We made some bad decisions, but that'll improve with more experience."

Austin Sherrell had 11 points and nine rebounds for New Haven. Nwoko scored 10 points and Jerry Ben pulled down eight rebounds.

Sammy Rizzo led Ford with 21 points. Sophomores Donnie Schuster and Iafrate scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Sean Russell collected seven rebounds.

New Haven Rolls Over Sterling Heights on Senior Night

2/17/2015

2015 Seniors

NEW HAVEN 67, STERLING HEIGHTS 29: New Haven (10-0 MAC Gold, 16-0) showed why they are one of the top-ranked teams in the state, coasting to a 33-6 halftime lead and never looking back. Dmonta Harris took off for the Rockets with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Sterling Heights (0-10 MAC Gold, 1-15) was led by Malot Dushaj with eight points. New Haven is at Ford on Thursday for a MAC Crossover. Sterling Heights travels to Lincoln, also Thursday, for a MAC Gold game.

Sterling Heights 4 2 9 14 -- 29

New Haven 11 22 18 16 -- 67

STERLING HEIGHTS (0-10 MAC Gold, 1-15): David Rhodes 2, Fadi Ablahad 3, Antonio Sinistaj 4, Jordan Peoples 2, Stiven Abro 5, Raymond Hermez 5, Malot Dushaj 8. Totals: 11(2) 5-6 -- 29.

NEW HAVEN (10-0 MAC Gold, 16-0): Dolan Bonkowski 2, Austin Sherrell 9, Marquis Perkins 2, Cameron Davis 2, Innocent Nwoko 7, Jerry Ben 4, Dmonta Harris 24, John Galloway 6. Totals: 27(3) 10-17 -- 67.

Austin Sherrell

Dolan Bonkowski

Marquis Perkins

New Haven Battles WWT to an Overtime Win

2/13/2015

Coach Tedaro France II and New Haven Rockets improved to 15-0

By Chuck Klonke
@MIPrepZoneMD

New Haven's basketball team is still undefeated but the Rockets had to work overtime to stay that way.

A gritty, spirited Warren Woods-Tower squad gave New Haven all it could handle for four quarters Friday before the Rockets escaped with an 84-71 overtime win in the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.

"This was a great, great game," said New Haven coach Tedaro France II. "Our MAC Gold is so tough. We know what (Warren Woods-Tower) does and they know what we do so it was a dogfight. It was a great team win. It's always great to come here and win.

"We need games like this to show who we are. We went through some tough times tonight but the kids stayed together, we kept our composure, we stayed strong and got the victory. A game like this teaches our kids how to play in certain situations. You can't practice these things. You can work on them but you have to do them in game situations. Warren Woods-Tower shot the ball extremely well and we had to overcome that."

The duel within the game was between New Haven's Dmonta Harris and Woods-Tower's Darius Jordan. Jordan finished with 32 points and Harris had 30.

Titans coach Nick Evola was extremely pleased with the performance of his team.

"These guys battled from start to finish," he said. "I'm proud of their effort. Just a couple bad bounces at the end. There's no reason for them to hang their heads. They gave a 100 percent effort the whole time and they earned a lot of respect from a lot of people."

Friday's game was a stark contrast from the earlier meeting that New Haven won 49-34. WWT exceeded that total by halftime when it led 40-38.

"We just had to go out and play hard," Evola said. "We didn't do anything special. We know what they can do. We knew we had to keep them off the glass and play physical with the bigs down low. We had to force them to make tough shots. We tried to take advantage of our mismatches. It was some of the best free-throw shooting we've had all year.

"Some guys stepped up tonight who hadn't really been getting it going lately. I'm so proud of their effort."

Marquis Perkins was one of the unsung heroes for New Haven. He made Jordan work for his points in the second half until he fouled out. Then Dolan Bonkowski took over and did well at point guard during the overtime.

"Marquis did a great job on Jordan," France said. "He's our guy on defense. Dmonta stepped up. Our post guys stepped up. It was good to see guys who don't do certain things break out of their shell and get things down. It's great to see guys grow."

New Haven led 65-62 with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Jordan tied the game with three free throws when he was fouled shooting a 3-pointer. He then stole the ball and went in for a layup to give the Titans a 67-65 lead with 1:38 to go.

Bonkowski hit a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 67-all. New Haven jumped ahead early in overtime on a dunk by Innocent Nwoko. He was fouled and missed the free throw, but he grabbed his own rebound and scored to put the Rockets ahead 71-67.

Harris, Bonkowski and Nwoko each hit two free throws in the final minute of overtime to secure the win.

Harris said that the Rockets went into the overtime with renewed determination.

"We talked about what we had to do to pick it up," Harris said. "Everything starts on defense and we had to pick up the intensity. Not only that, but we had to stop making turnovers.

"We have a lot of talent on this team but we also have a lot of will -- the will to win and the will to execute what we work on in practice. In order for us to win a game like this, as tough as it is, we have to execute."

Harris said that the Rockets are guarding against getting complacent.

"Coach talked about another team that was 13-0," Harris said. "They got big-headed and started losing. Our idea is not to learn from losing but to learn while we keep winning."

Austin Sherrell scored 19 points for New Haven. Dmonta Harris had 13 rebounds and Josh Harris collected nine.

Charles Frazier had 12 points and six rebounds for Woods-Tower.

New Haven tops state poll #1 in Class B

2/11/2015

Tedaro France II

New Haven coach Tedaro France II and his Rockets are among the best teams in the state.

Rockets tied for top spot in Class B

By the Associated Press
@MIPrepZoneMD

The top 10 teams in the Michigan Associated Press high school basketball poll, with records in parentheses. Totals are based on 15 points for a first-place vote, 14 for second, etc.

Class A

School Total Points

1. Detroit Western International (5) (14-0) 75

2. Muskegon (13-1) 66

3. East Kentwood (14-0) 64

4. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (13-0) 59

5. Detroit U-D Jesuit (13-1) 57

6. Clarkston (14-0) 54

7. Saginaw Arthur Hill (12-3) 44

8. Kalamazoo Central (14-1) 35

(tie) Grand Ledge (13-0) 35

10. Lansing Everett (12-2) 20

Others receiving 12 or more votes: North Farmington (12-2) 19, Macomb Dakota (11-2) 16, Ann Arbor Huron (11-2) 12.

Class B

School Total Points

1. Milan (4) (12-2) 68

(tie) New Haven (1) (13-0) 68

3. Wyoming Godwin Heights (12-1) 66

4. Flint Northwestern (12-0) 61

5. Yale (13-1) 46

6. Otsego (11-2) 40

7. Battle Creek Harper Creek (12-1) 37

8. Benton Harbor (12-3) 30

(tie) Wayland (10-3) 30

10. Goodrich (13-2) 28

Others receiving 12 or more votes: Detroit Henry Ford (12-4) 21, Haslett (11-2) 15, Frankenmuth (10-2) 14, Detroit Cesar Chavez (11-0) 13.

Class C

School Total Points

1. Flint Beecher (3) (12-1) 73

2. Beaverton (2) (13-0) 63

3. Shelby (14-0) 62

4. Hillsdale (15-0) 55

5. Laingsburg (11-1) 53

6. Iron Mountain (13-1) 43

7. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (13-1) 37

8. Ironwood Luther L Wright (14-1) 28

9. McBain (11-1) 24

(tie) Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (10-1) 24

Others receiving 12 or more votes: Jackson Lumen Christi (12-1) 22, Millington (11-2) 22, Southfield Christian (11-3) 18, Detroit Loyola (10-2) 15, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian (10-2) 14.

Class D

School Total Points

1. Powers North Central (3) (12-0) 72

2. Cedarville (1) (11-0) 69

3. Waterford Our Lady (1) (14-0) 65

4. Munising (12-0) 62

5. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (10-2) 57

6. Frankfort-Elberta (12-1) 47

7. Onekama (13-0) 43

8. Hillman (14-1) 41

9. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (10-2) 33

10. Lake Linden-Hubbell (13-0) 32

Others receiving 12 or more votes: Crystal Falls Forest Park (10-3) 19, Fulton-Middleton (11-2) 16.

Perfection is Spelled N-e-w H-a-v-e-n: The Rockets Defeat League Rival St Clair 61-41 in MAC Gold Action

2/5/2015

Joshua Harris skies in for the Dunk

By Chuck Pleiness
@MIPrepZoneMD

New Haven boys basketball coach Tedaro France II has been telling his team all season about playing great team defense, which will lead to sparking the offense.

The Rockets put that on display in the second half, smothering St. Clair as they cruised to a 61-41 win in a MAC Gold Division game, Thursday night to remain the only unbeaten team in Macomb County.

“We have guys going up and getting ball and guys just playing overall great team defense,” said France, whose squad outscored the Saints 39-23 in the second half after holding just a four-point lead after two quarters. “They want to play team defense. We have guys that can score, but that comes second.”

With under two minutes to play late in the third quarter New Haven put that team defense mentality on display for all to see.

Already up 41-30, the Rockets’ Dmonta Harris ran the length of the court to block a breakaway dunk attempt by Eric Williams and then fired a pass to Josh Harris standing near the Saints’ free-throw line for a dunk of his own.

“I tell my players they won’t touch the court if they don’t play team defense,” said France, whose team is 7-0 in the MAC Gold and 13-0 overall. “We feed off that.”

The defensive effort also helped the Rockets after a very sluggish first half offensively.

“We’re going to have days when we start slow and can’t shoot the ball well, but we should never have a bad game on the defensive side of the ball,” France said. “It’s happened a lot. We’ve done a good job so far coming out in the second half to get the game back. It’s not how you start it’s how you end up.”

A pair of Rockets finished with double-doubles – Dmonta Harris (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Innocent Nwoko (11 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks) – and another a point away from doing so – Josh Harris (nine points, 10 rebounds).

John Galloway also chipped in nine points for New Haven, which will look to run its opening season win streak to 14 when it plays at Lakeview Tuesday.

“We’re still learning and getting better every day,” France said. “We still have a lot of flaws that need to be fixed. We played hard, but sometimes never very smart. It’s going to take time and hopefully we can get if fixed by March.”

The Saints (4-3, 8-5) got 14 points from Clarke Lamb.

“We never found an offensive rhythm the whole night,” St. Clair coach Shawn Sharrow said. “We said at the half someone is going to get an 8-0 or 10-0 run. It was them. They did a good job defensively and took us out of what we wanted to do.”

New Haven topped the Saints, 67-56, in the first meeting.

“We were hoping to breakout in the third quarter and it just didn’t happen,” Sharrow said. “We move the ball a lot better than we did tonight. They were anchored in pretty good against Lamb. We needed to pick our spots, but they were denying passes. It’s not that we didn’t drive the ball we were trying to do it off one pass.”

Austin Sherrell

Coach France & Dmonta Harris

Dolan Bonkowski

Marquis Perkins

Innocent Nwoko named MIPREPZONE Macomb DailySunkist Athlete of the Week

2/4/2015

Innocent Nwoko

www.miprepzone.com

Week of: 2/5/2015

Innocent Nwoko
Boys Basketball- New Haven

Nwoko had nine points 4 of which came from two thunderous dunks. He also had 6 rebounds and 4 blocks in the Rockets' 79-54 win over Lincoln, which raised New Haven's record to 12-0. An anchor of the Rockets' defense, Nwoko has helped New Haven climb to No. 2 in the Associated Press state Class B poll.