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 Chris Nelsen, Special to the Detroit Free Press
The only thing that could stop New Haven star Romeo Weems was a bloody jersey. Weems, a 4-star forward and the state's top junior, had to leave Tuesday's regular season finale against Flint Beecher late in the second quarter after getting blood on his jersey. "I just wanted to bring some energy," said Weems, who normally wears No. 1 but changed to No. 32. "I have to come through for my team." Not to be deterred and wearing a different number, Weems scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half, including numerous powerful dunks, leading the host Rockets to an 81-70 win over Beecher. Weems, averaging 23.9 points per game this season, added 12 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. "We didn't really have a matchup for him," Buccaneers coach Mike Williams said. "I know Romeo and New Haven is a very good program. He's a fabulous player." New Haven (20-0), last year's Class B state champions, improved its program-record win streak to 46 games. The Rockets' last loss came to Macomb Dakota in last season's second game. I don't believe anybody can stop us but ourselves," Weems said. "We work hard every day at practice, don't take any days off. We were real hyped (against Beecher)." Senior Ashton Sherrell finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds for New Haven, and junior Ronald Jeffery II added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Senior Theatrice King had 24 points and sophomore Jalen Terry added 15 points for the Buccaneers (12-8), the three-time defending Class C state champs. Dunking machine With several college coaches in attendance, including Michigan's John Beilein and Detroit Mercy's Bacari Alexander, Weems didn't disappoint. After a slow start in the first half and Beecher staying step for step — the score was tied 30-30 at the intermission —Weems had 14 points in the third quarter to help the Rockets open a 55-48 lead. Weems finished his third alley-oop dunk of the game, with an assist from Jeffery, to put New Haven ahead, 55-43, late in the period. His best dunk came late in the first quarter, as he charged in from the baseline and caught an alley-oop pass from Tavares Oliver Jr. with one hand and slammed it home. "I brought some energy, got a couple steals, some lobs," Weems said. Keeping it close With New Haven trying to cap its perfect regular season, the visiting Bucs put a scare into the home crowd. The Rockets led, 18-11, after the first quarter, but Beecher used a strong second quarter to tie it. "That's why we picked this game," New Haven coach Tedaro France II said of facing the Bucs. "They've won five of the last six Class C state championships. They're a well-coached team, they play hard. That was a great test for us before postseason play." As the Rockets tried to pull away in the fourth quarter, leading 57-48, Beecher used a spurt to get within 61-55 with 4:30 left. New Haven answered, though, scoring the next six points, including four points by Jeffery, to regain control.  George Pohly, The Macomb Daily
This time, overtime wasn’t necessary. Romeo Weems had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Ashton Sherrell had 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead New Haven to an 81-70 non-league boys basketball victory over visiting Flint Beecher on Tuesday night. Guard Ronald Jeffery III added 12 points and backcourt mate Tavares Oliver 10 as New Haven completed a 20-0 regular season and won for the second consecutive time against the Bucs after going three overtimes on the Beecher floor last year. “It was a really good test,” Sherrell said. “It was a hard-fought game.” The New Haven lead was 61-55 when Ernest Sanders made two free throws for Beecher with 4:33 left, but the 6-foot-7 Sherrell, who operated effectively in the paint before fouling out in the fourth quarter, made a basket and Jeffery added two free throws and then a field goal for a 67-55 lead, and the Rockets went on to extend their Macomb County record with a 46th consecutive victory. “They’re athletic and they’re fast,” New Haven coach Tedaro France II said of the Bucs. “They pressed us. It was good to see that from them; usually we’re the team pressing. “They put our guards in some stress, and we overcame it,” France continued. “I wanted to see my guards under fire, and they responded well.” Theatrice King led defending state Class C champion Beecher with 24 points. Sanders and Jalen Terry had 15 points apiece in a game that was preceded by an invocation offered in response to the shooting two weeks ago at a Florida high school. The highly anticipated game drew a capacity crowd and was watched by multiple college coaches, including John Beilein of Michigan and Bacari Alexander of Detroit Mercy. “It was like a playoff atmosphere. We knew it was going to be big,” Weems, who had to change jerseys after getting blood on his No. 1 top in the second quarter, said. “We knew they were going to come ready to play. “It feels good (to be 20-0), but the ultimate goal is the state championship. We’re going to keep working hard.” Jeffery had eight rebounds and five assists. Oliver had four assists. Defending state champion New Haven starts Class B district tournament play Monday against Pontiac at Notre Dame Prep. Mick McCabe, Special to the Detroit Free Press
Super 10 Rank, School, Record, Class 1. Clarkston, 16-1, A 2. New Haven, 17-0, B 3. Ann Arbor Skyline, 18-0, A 4. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 18-1, B 5. Hazel Park, 17-1, A 6. Benton Harbor, 18-1, B 7. U-D Jesuit, 16-3, A 8. Grand Rapids CC, 17-1, B 9. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 16-2, A 10. Ypsilanti, 16-1, A Class A 1. Clarkston, 16-1 2. Ann Arbor Skyline, 18-0 3. Hazel Park, 17-1 4. U-D Jesuit, 16-3 5. Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 16-2 6. Ypsilanti, 16-1 7. Detroit East English Village, 15-3 8. Canton, 18-1 9. Muskegon, 15-3 10. Holland West Ottawa, 17-2 Class B 1. New Haven, 19-0 2. Wyoming Godwin Heights, 18-1 3. Benton Harbor, 18-1 4. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 17-1 5. River Rouge, 17-1 6. Bridgeport, 17-1 7. Detroit Henry Ford, 14-5 8. Williamston, 17-2 9. Olivet, 18-1 10. Detroit Old Redford, 13-5 Class C 1. Monroe St. Mary CC, 18-0 2. Kent City, 18-0 3. Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 16-2 4. Manton, 14-3 5. Iron Mountain, 18-1 6. Detroit Edison, 10-9 7. Kalamazoo Christian, 17-1 8. Unionville Sebewaing, 17-1 9. Maple City Glen Lake, 16-2 10. McBain, 16-2 Class D 1. Southfield Christian, 15-3 2. Bellevue, 18-1 3. Dollar Bay, 16-0 4. Ewen-Trout Creek, 18-1 5. Frankfort, 16-2 6. Hillman, 17-0 7. Buckley, 14-4 8. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 14-4 9. Brimley, 15-3 10. Bellaire, 14-4  Jared Purcell, www.mlive.com
Although a couple of top 10 teams suffered losses last week, this is the first week where no teams have fallen out of the top 25. Read on to see what's happening with the top 25 overall teams in Michigan 25. Belleville Record: 14-5 Class A Belleville saw its win streak end at nine games after it lost to Muskegon over the weekend, 55-50. The Tigers have a winnable game against Dearborn Heights Robichaud on Tuesday at home to wrap up the regular season. 24. Detroit Edison Public School Academy Record: 10-9 Class C After being off last week, DEPSA is lined up to play Detroit U-D Jesuit in the Operation Friendship game on Thursday night at Calihan Hall. It is the traditional matchup between the PSL and Catholic League champions. 23. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central Record: 18-0 Class C With dominant wins over New Boston Huron and Monroe Jefferson last week, the Flacons wrapped up an undefeated season in Huron League play. St. Mary CC will look to make it a perfect regular season against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Tuesday and Detroit University Prep on Thursday. 22. Southfield Christian Record: 15-3 Class D Coming off a week without any games, the Eagles cap the season with home games against Ann Arbor Pioneer on Tuesday and Detroit Country Day on Thursday. 21. Muskegon Record: 16-3 Class A Picking up a 55-50 overtime win over Belleville on Saturday, Muskegon has won 11-straight games. Muskegon has completed its regular season schedule. 20. Bridgeport Record: 17-1 Class B Winning all three games last week, Bridgeport will look to wrap up the Tri-Valley East title this week against Caro and Millington. 19. East Lansing Record: 15-3 Class A East Lansing lost to Okemos for the second time this season last week, surrendering the CAAC Blue division title to them in the process. A trip to Lansing Catholic awaits East Lansing on Tuesday, followed by its regular-season finale at home against Lansing Waverly on Thursday. 18. Okemos Record: 15-4 Class A Okemos beat East Lansing for the second time last week, giving the Chiefs an 11-1 record in the 2018 calendar year. The also gave Okemos the CAAC Blue title. A home matchup against St. Johns on Thursday is the only mathup. 17. Ypsilanti Record: 16-1 Class A Ypsilanti picked up three wins last week, beating Dexter, Chelsea and Tecumseh to wrap up the SEC White title. Saline is the last team Ypsilanti faces on Thursday this week. 16. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central Record: 16-2 Class A After a 21-point win over Forest Hills Northern last week, the Rangers prepare to face Grand Haven on Tuesday and Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills on Thursday. 15. Williamston Record: 17-2 Class B With wins over Eaton Rapids tonight Portland last week, Williamston will attempt to enter the state tournament with a 13-game win streak if it can get past Holt on Thursday. 14. Flint Carman-Ainsworth Record: 17-2 Class A The Cavs picked up wins over Saginaw Arthur Hill, Flint Powers Catholic and Midland last week. With one game left, Carman-Ainsworth will host Port Huron on Thursday night. 13. River Rouge Record: 17-1 Class B The Panthers had to grind out a 48-42 win over Harper Woods to capture its second-straight MMAC Blue tournament championship. River Rouge will face one final challenge this week when it travels to face Romulus on Thursday. 12. Detroit Cass Tech Record: 14-4 Class A Cass Tech beat Detroit Loyola last week, 68-56, and now turns its attention to a Wednesday home matchup against Dearborn Divine Child. 11. Grand Rapids Catholic Central Record: 17-1 Class B After a 58-39 win over Sparta last week, Catholic Central will have one final test this week when it faces Holland West Ottawa on Thursday. 10. Benton Harbor Record: 18-1 Class B Benton Harbor had no problem blowing out South Haven last week. A road matchup against Wyoming will close out the regular season for the Tigers. 9. Canton Record: 17-1 Class A A favorite in the KLAA tournament, Canton beat Howell before being upset by Novi, 61-56, in the KLAA semifinals. The Chiefs will look to get back on the winning track tonight in a home game against Ypsilanti Lincoln. 8. Detroit East English Village Record: 14-3 Class A East English scheduled a game against Henry Ford last week and recorded a quality 60-40 victory. East English has an open schedule this week but could schedule another game before the state tournament starts. 7. Holland West Ottawa Record: 17-2 Class A West Ottawa easily beat Caledonia and Grand Rapids Northview last week, winning each game by 23 points. Ottawa caps the regular season on Thursday when it hosts Grand Rapids Catholic Central in a marquee matchup of ranked teams. 6. Detroit U-D Jesuit Record: 16-3 Class A Another year, another Catholic League A-B tournament title for the Cubs. After beating Warren De La Salle, 64-55, on Sunday, Jesuit has now won six straight A-B titles. Up next is the Operation Friendship game against PSL champion Detroit Edison Public School Academy on Thursday at Calihan Hall. 5. Wyoming Godwin Heights Record: 18-1 Class B Godwin Heights claimed an 81-45 win over Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian last week in its only game. A trip to Grand Rapids Christian on Tuesday will be the final game of the regular season for Godwin Heights. 4. Hazel Park Record: 17-1 Class A Wins over West Bloomfield and Detroit Old Redford last week should provide a nice boost heading into the final tough week of the regular season. The Vikings have two road games this week as it travels to Troy on Tuesday and Clarkston on Friday. 3. New Haven Record: 19-0 Class B New Haven had no problem capturing the MAC Blue/Gold tournament last week when it beat St. Clair Shores Lakeshore, 89-54. New Haven wraps up the season on Tuesday with a home game against Flint Beecher. Last year, New Haven beat Beecher, 108-104, in triple overtime. 2. Ann Arbor Skyline Record: 18-0 Class A Skyline is closing in on its first undefeated regular season in program history after win over Temperance Bedford and Saline last week. A Tuesday home matchup against Romulus and a Thursday trip to Chelsea is what stands between Skyline and a 20-0 season. 1. Clarkston Record: 17-1 Class A Last week, Clarkston had three more games and three more wins, beating Romulus, North Farmington and Southfield A&T with an average margin of victory of 40 points. The Wolves have not lost since the calendar changed to 2018. Clarkston carries its 12-game win streak into an away game at West Bloomfield on Tuesday with a home finale against Hazel Park awaiting on Thursday.  Vito Chirco, Special to Detroit Free Press
Forty-four wins and counting. The New Haven Rockets (18-0, 10-0 MAC Blue) keep rolling along thanks to the dominant play of junior forward Romeo Weems. Weems, a four-star recruit ranked No. 3 on Mick McCabe’s preseason list of the top 100 players, posted 24 points and 11 rebounds in New Haven’s 75-25 defeat of Warren Woods Tower Tuesday in the semifinal round of the MAC Blue/Gold tournament. He also had six steals, five assists and three blocks. C.J. Goff@cgoff22Lob City from @TavaresO1iver to @romeo_weems_0 as they were a solid 1, 2 punch tonight for @RocketCountry. @TheD_Zone https://basketball.thedzone.com/events/new-haven-rockets-at-warren-woods-tower-titans … 9:58 PM - Feb 20, 2018 · Warren, MI
His has garnered offers from schools like Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Oakland and Detroit Mercy. Senior New Haven guard Tavares Oliver also chipped in 14 points in the win over Woods Tower, 12 of which came in the first quarter. The Rockets, which allowed only seven points in the second half, haven’t lost since the second game of last season, against Macomb Dakota. This season, New Haven has won by an average margin of 34 points. The state record for consecutive wins is 84, held by Powers North Central from Dec. 8, 2014 to Dec. 4, 2017. They will face St. Clair Shores Lake Shore (12-6) in the MAC Blue/Gold tournament championship at 3 p.m. Saturday at Grosse Pointe North.  Bill Roose, The Macomb Daily
GROSSE POINTE WOODS >> Romeo Weems scored a game-high 37 points and three teammates scored in double digits to lead New Haven to an 89-54 win over Lake Shore in the MAC Blue/Gold boys basketball tournament championship game Saturday. From the opening tipoff, the undefeated Rockets electrified the large crowd at Grosse Pointe North with an array of alley-oop dunks and long-distance 3-pointers. And that was just in the first quarter. The MAC Blue champion Rockets dashed out to a 40-14 lead in the opening eight minutes and never looked back. Weems, a junior small forward, was highly efficient in three quarters of action, and scored 32 points in the first half as the Rockets cruised to a 67-32 lead at intermission. Coach Tedaro France II, in his 10th season at the helm in New Haven, credits the team success to the players’ ability to continuously run the floor with exceptionally high revving motors. “Our defense flies around and the one thing that’s good for us is that we’re in good shape,” France said. “Sometimes we come out in the first half and it’s back and forth with an opponent, but we sustain that type of tempo for the whole game.” Led by Weems, New Haven’s defense and rebounding at both ends bottled up MAC Gold member Lake Shore throughout Saturday’s championship. Caleb Bates was the lone Shorians player who had any success against the Rockets’ smothering style. The junior post player finished with 25 points on three triples and 6 for 6 from the free-throw line. Weems was simply unstoppable, which is something France has grown accustomed to over the past three years with back-to-back MAC tournament titles. “He demands the best from himself, so that carries over to his teammates,” France said. “But the most improvement that I see now in him is his jump shot and his ball skills. He’s always played hard and he’s always been a great defender, but now he can step out and shoot a 3-pointer consistently. That makes him so much more dangerous.” Senior guard Tavares Oliver Jr. led the Rockets from behind the arc, finishing with 17 points with five triples. Weems made four 3-point shots. Senior Ashton Sherrell scored 16 points and junior Ronald Jeffery III added 14 points for New Haven (19-0), which has won 45 consecutive games. “If we come to work each day and do the small things right the wins will come,” France said. “We have a saying on the back of our shirts that says, ‘Win the Day’. It doesn’t matter if we’re in the weight room, in the film room, we want to get better brick by brick each day.” |
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