High School Basketball – Broncos Use Defense to Corral Tigers
For the second straight night, our Game of the Night featured two teams that we slated to square off for a District title in the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
On Friday, the Bellevue Broncos hosted the St. Philip Fighting Tigers for what would have been a Division 4 final last season. Unlike Thursday's Game of the Night, these two teams went through drastic changes in what would have been a sensational District Final. The Tigers lost their offensive star to graduation in Conor Gausselin. The Broncos lost nine of their two players due to graduation on a team just a year removed from a State Quarterfinal appearance against eventual Division 4 runner-up Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian.
Both squads entered the contest with younger players especially St. Philip, who moved up two eighth grade athletes to the varsity due to no junior varsity contest. The youth movement for Bellevue truly didn't impact the starting lineup, returning three players from last season.
Friday's game was also just a primer to what could happen when Districts return in mid-March. Belleuve will look for their seventh straight District title, not including last season's final that never took place. The Broncos will also look to do it on their home floor.
The recap of our Game of the Night and all the scores from the second Friday of the season can be found below, including a few pivotal games in the Big 8 for Homer and Bronson.