Birch Run boys basketball couldn't over come Bridgeport's size and athleticism losing 34-83 in the District championship game Friday. We committed 25 turnovers, and Bridgeport out rebounded us by 9, and also shot 55.5 % from the floor compared to our 30%. Birch Run played determined basketball from the start, but we couldn't make our out-side shots and free throws (it was also hard to get the ball inside to get off shots) to keep the game within reach. While the loss hurts especially for our seniors who will be missed next season, the guys gave it their best effort. It was the first time in 7 years Birch Run reached and played in the district championship game. Bridgeport jumped to an early first quarter score of 5-21 and kept up the pressure and momentum throughout the game for the victory. Jaxon Martinus led with 7 points, Gage Martinus had 5 rebounds. Keegan Hale had 5 steals and 5 deflections to lead the team.  Jaxon Martinus  7 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 defl. Keegan Hale  5pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 5 stl, 5 defl. Connor Mausolf  5 pts, 2 reb. Gage Martinus  4 pts, 5 rebs, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 defl. Randy Lenhart  4 pts, 1 reb. Mason Mellott  3 pts, 2 rebs, 1 stl, 1 defl,  1 blk. Chase Stewart  3 pts, 1 reb, 1 defl. Trent Dalak  3 pts, 1 reb. Christian Stebner  2 reb. Nolan Cherry 1 reb. Simeon Martin Jr. 1 reb. 

The first game of districts for the Birch Run boys was an exciting win in double overtime over Caro 76-70!  It was an all-out effort from the Panthers, who grabbed 42 rebounds in the contest, out-rebounding Caro by 12.  Both teams came out strong with Birch Run having the edge at the end of the first quarter 15-11, but Caro out-scored us in the second quarter 23-8, bringing the halftime score to 23-34 in favor of the Tigers. The third quarter finished with a 39-51 score (Birch Run having a 12 point deficit). However, the Panthers fought hard to come back in an outstanding effort to out-score Caro in the fourth quarter 21-9 to take the game into overtime @ 60 all. Each team scored 8 points in the first period of overtime (ending in a 68-68 tie)  to take us into a second overtime, where we once again clawed out an edge scoring 8 points compared to Caro's 2 points in the final overtime period- giving the Panthers a much deserved 76-70 win!  Several players stepped up their game to contribute to the effort and secure the win. Our rebounding, free-throw shooting, defense, determination, and team play were all key to the victory! Jaxon Martinus led the Panthers with 29 points and had a team-high 7 assists. Gage Martinus had a double-double, scoring 16 points and snaring 13 rebounds for the night. Mason Mellott was also in double figures with 11 points. Connor Mausolf had an all-around solid game- scoring 9 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, had 5 steals and 2 deflections! Keegan Hale also put out a balanced attack and finished with 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, 8 deflections, and 1 block! I am very proud of the team, their persistence and efforts- they didn't give up and their hard work paid off.  We will face Bridgeport on Friday @ 7:00 in Caro for the district championship! Jaxon Martinus- 29 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl, 4 defl Gage Martinus- 16 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 1 defl, 1 blk Mason Mellott- 11 pts, 5 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 9 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl, 2 defl Keegan Hale- 6 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl, 8 defl, 1 blk Chase Stewart- 2 pts, 3 reb Trent Dalak- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl Christian Stebner- 1 pt, 1 reb Nolan Cherry- 1 ast, 2 defl

Birch Run varsity boys lost Tuesday in overtime to host Durand 59 to 69 in our last regular season game. Durand  boys varsity team is co-conference champs this year in the MMAC. The Panthers played hard and fought right to the end! The 1st quarter ended with Birch Run leading 16 to 11, and at halftime Durand was up 30 to 28. The 3rd quarter score went back forth with Durand up 42 to 41 going into the fourth. Fourth quarter was also tight with the Panthers trailing by a few points much of the way through, but Mason Mellott hit a 3 pointer after a pass from Jaxon with just a few seconds remaining to force an overtime at 51 all (since Durand was unable to get a good shot off with such little time left). Overtime didn't go our way with a few turnovers and missed shots- with 2:27 on the clock in OT, Durand went up 55-53 working their way eventually up  to a 10 point lead (63-53) because BR had to foul and the Railroaders made their  free throws down the stretch. Birch Run boys gave a great effort against though!  Birch Run will now get ready for district play Wednesday, March 8th facing Caro @ Caro with a 5:30 start time.        Birch Run boys gave a effort Gage Martinus- 27 pts, 8 reb, 1 stl Jaxon Matinus- 15 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 3 defl, 1 blk  Mason Mellott- 9 pts, 2 reb, 1 defl Keegan Hale- 4 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 3 d3fl Trent Dalak- 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 defl Connor Mausolf- 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 5 defl Chase Stewart- 2 reb Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 1 stl

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

  Birch Run Varsity Boys put out a great effort Friday on Senior Night but came up a little short, losing 38-49 to Essexville Garber. However, the final score did not indicate how close and competitive the game really was.The Panthers trailed by 7 points at the end of the first quarter; the Dukes held the same 7 point edge at halftime (16-23) and increased it by 2 points by the end of the third (26-35). With 7 minutes remaining in the fourth, we had fought back to pull within 4 points (31-35), we trailed by 5 points at the 4 minute mark, and @  2 :31 the score was 38-40. In the final minutes, we missed our shots, had to foul, and Garber made their free throws to pull out the win. It was nice to see the team play hard, be competitive, and have fun doing it even though we didn't get the win. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 12 points, and Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Our final regular season game will be @ Durand 7:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 28th. Jaxon Martinus- 12 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 7 pts, 4 reb Mason Mellott- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 9 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 defl, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 blk

Birch Run boys lost to neighboring Frankenmuth 52-29 Tuesday. Our intensity level did not show up to start the game. We trailed 22 -7 after the1st quarter, and were outscored in the 2nd quarter 10 to 2- taking us to a 32-9  halftime score. In general it was a frustrating half.  Each team scored 20 points in the second half however, and after committing 12 turnovers in the first half, the Panthers cut their turnovers to 5 in the second. Mason Mellott led the team with 8 points, Gage Martinus had 6 rebounds, and Jaxon Martinus had 4 assists. We have our last home game on Friday vs. Essexville Garber. Mason Mellott- 8 pts Jaxon Martinus- 7 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 3 defl, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 6 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast Colton Elliott- 3 pts, 2 reb Trent Dalak- 2 pts, 3 reb, 1 stl, 1 defl Chase Stewart- 2 pts Simeon Martin Jr.- 1 pt, 1 reb, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl Christian Stebner- 2 reb, 1 stl Owen Quinnan- 1 reb Nolan Cherry- 1 defl      

Birch Run lost to visiting Swan Valley 68-46 Friday night. Shooting woes, turnovers, and missed free-throws cost us the game. The team played hard, but shot only 38.7% from the 2 point range, 25% on 3 pointers, had 26 turnovers, and went 10-33 from the free throw line. It was disappointing because Swan Valley was a beatable team, and we had our hopes high. But, for whatever reason we weren't hitting our shots. We will regroup and work hard at putting a better total game together before we travel to play Frankenmuth on Tuesday. Christian Stebner led the team with 11 points and 4 steals. Gage Martinus grabbed 13 rebounds and had 4 assists to lead the team in those categories.   Christian Stebner- 11 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk, 1 charge taken Jaxon Martinus- 9 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 defl Mason Mellott- 8 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 defl Gage Martinus- 6 pts, 13 reb, 24 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl Chase Stewart- 6 pts, 3 reb Randy Lenhart- 4 pts, 1 reb Simeon Martin Jr.- 1 pts, 1 reb, 1 blk Connor Mausolf- 1 pt, 2 reb, 2 ast, 7 defl Trent Dalak- 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 defl Owen Quinnan- 1 reb, 2 stl Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 1 defl Colton Elliott- 1 defl  

The Panthers lost to host, Holly (49-57)  Monday, but played a solid game. We trailed by 3 points after the first quarter (12-15) and by 5 points at halftime (24-29), three points by the end of the third (36-39). At the 6:05 mark in the fourth quarter, we pulled ahead (42-41) when Jaxon made a 3-pointer. With 2:23 remaining the Panthers trailed by 3 points (45-48), but Holly stalled and we had to foul to stop the clock. Holly made their free throws and a few more baskets in the waning minutes, and we missed a few of our attempts and shot only 30% from the free-throw line. That was the difference in the game. We were right there but couldn't quite get the win.  It wasn't because of lack of effort though. Gage Martinus had a double-double- scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead the team. Jaxon Martinus also had 13 points, dished out 4 assists, and had 5 deflections.   Gage Martinus- 13 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl,1 blk Jaxon Martinus- 13 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 5 defl, 1 blk Chase Stewart- 6 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl Mason Mellot- 6 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 defl Christian Stebner- 5 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3 defl, 1 charge taken Trent Dalak- 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 defl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 1 reb, 3 defl Nolan Cerry- 1 reb, 1 ast Keegan Hale- 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 defl

Birch Run Boys lost 80-37 against Bridgeport Friday. We played hard, but were out-matched by Bridgeport. Leading the Panthers was Gage Martinus with 15 tough points, followed by Chase Stewart with 10 points.  Keegan Hale and Gage each had 3 assists. Gage Martinus- 15 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl Chase Stewart- 10 pts, 2 reb Jaxon Martinus- 8 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast,1 stl, 4 defl, 1 blk Trent Dalak- 2 pts, 3 reb Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb Keegan Hale- 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 defl Nolan Cherry- 2 reb, 1 ast Colton Elliott- 3 reb Mason Elliott- 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 defl Simeon Martin Jr.- 1 reb    

Birch Run lost to host John Glenn Tuesday 70-41. We came out strong in the first quarter and played a solid first half, trailing John Glenn by only 2 pts (9-11) after the first, and by 7 points (15-22) at the half. The first half was a defensive battle and I was proud of how the guys hustled, passed, played defense and played team ball. The second half we had a stretch of some bad breaks, quite a few missed scoring opportunities and a few too many turnovers. John Glenn led 40-25 by the end if the third and pulled away in the fourth to a 72-41 victory. Chase Stewart led the Panther scoring with 8 points, Gage Martinus had a team-high 5 rebounds, Jaxon Martinus had 3 assists, and Keegan Hale led with 4 deflections. Birch Run will travel to Bridgeport Friday.   Chase Stewart- 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 stl, 1 defl Jaxon Martinus- 6 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 3 defl Randy Lenhart- 6 pts Mason Mellott- 6 pts Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 defl Christian Stebner- 3 pts, 1 stl, 1 defl Nolan Cherry- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 defl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 defl, 1 blk Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 2 reb Keegan Hale- 1 pt, 2 reb, 4 defl Owen Quinnan- 1 pt, 1 reb Trent Dalak- 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl Simeon Martin Jr.- 1 reb

The Panthers had another loss to visiting Freeland 36-64 on Friday. The margin that we lost by was disappointing because we wanted it to be a much closer game on our court. But it didn't work out that way as we were missing one of our key players due to injury. Freeland started the game hitting on all cylinders  taking a 16 to 9 first quarter lead. We worked the ball good with good patience in the first quarter against Freeland's zone, however missed some key shots around the rim. Freeland stretched the lead to 17 by the half, and to 29 points (27-56) by the end of the third. We will continue to work on improving our game, and will  travel to Bay City John Glenn Tuesday, 7:00 PM start. Jaxon Martinus- 15 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl Chase Stewart- 6 pts, 2 reb, 1 blk Mason Mellott- 6 pts, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 defl Christian Stebner- 3 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 defl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 defl Nolan Cherry- 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl Trent Dalak- 1 reb, 1 stl Keegan Hale- 1 ast Simeon Martin Jr.- 1 defl  

Birch Run Boys hosted Alma Friday to start off the second half of its TVC play losing to a tough Alma team 47-60. The Panthers came out and played hard to take a 14-12 lead into the 2nd quarter, and increased it to a 3 point lead 28-25 by half-time. The 3rd quarter lead went back and forth with Alma having a 4-point (42-38) edge going into the fourth quarter. With just 1:14 remaining, Alma led by 6 (51-45) when the Panthers had to start fouling in an effort to stop the clock. We came up a little short, but Birch Run boys played their hearts out all game from start to finish. Our play was a big improvement after losing to Alma the first game of this season 33-68. If the Birch Run Panthers play with the intensity we played with tonight for the rest of the season our opponents will have their hands full. Gage Martinus was the leading scorer with 27 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and had 3 steals. Chase Stewart had 3 deflections and Keegan Hale had 2 assists.     Gage Martinus- 27 pts, 7 reb, 3 stl, 2defl Jaxon Martinus- 8 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 defl Chase Stewart- 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl, 1 blk Christian Stebner- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl, 1 charge taken Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 1 reb Trent Dalak- 1 pt, 2 reb, 1 stl, 1 defl Nolan Cherry- 2 reb Keegan Hale- 2 assists Mason Mellott- 1 stl, 1 blk

Birch Run varsity boys had a hard time hitting shots against visiting Frankenmuth's zone defense Tuesday, losing the contest 63-33. We had good looks but we just couldn't get our shots to fall. Frankenmuth is a good outside shooting team, and turning the ball over 26 times also hurt our opportunities. Gage Martinus led the Panthers with 11 points and 5 rebounds, and Jaxon Martinus had 4 steals and 3 assists. We will have to regroup and get ready for Alma Friday when the Birch Run varsity boys will start the season's second half of playing TVC conference opponents.   Gage Martinus- 11 pts, 5 reb, 1 stl, 3 defl, 1 blk Jaxon Martinus- 6 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk Mason Mellott- 3 pts, 2 reb Christian Stebner- 3 pts, 1 stl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk Owen Quinnan- 2 pts, 2 reb Chase Stewart- 2 pts, 2 reb Simeon Martin Jr.- 2pts Connor Mausolf- 1 pt, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 defl Colton Elliott- 1 pt, 2 reb Nolan Cherry- 1 reb Trent Dalak- 1 ast, 1 blk Keegan Hale- 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 defl  

Birch Run varsity boys basketball suffered another loss to unbeaten (6-0 in the TVC) Essexville Garber Friday. Garber's hot shooting in the 1st quarter brought them out to an early 24 to 6 lead, they added 18 points more to their lead by the half (42-14), 16 more in the third (61-30) and ended up winning 71-44. The Panthers' shooting woes continued with a combined 2 and 3 point overall 25% percentage for the night. Birch Run started out the game missing their shots in the first 5 possessions. Defensively we can compete with most good teams,.but we need to make more of our shots to be competitive offensively, Starting our second half of TVC play -Birch Run will host Frankenmuth on Tuesday January 24th, Alma on Jan 27th, and then Freeland on February 3rd. Jaxon Martinus led the Panthers with 16 points, Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds.   Jaxon Martinus- 16 pts, 3 reb,1 ast, 2 stl, 2 defl, 1 blk Gage Martinus- 11 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 4 defl Christian Stebner- 6 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 defl Mason Mellott- 4 pts, 2 defl, 1 blk Simeon Martin Jr.- 3 pts, 1 reb Owen Quinnan- 2 pts, 1 reb Trent Dalak- 2 pts, 1 ast, 1 stl Nolan Cherry- 2 reb, 1 ast Keegan Hale- 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 defl Colton Elliott- 2 reb, 1 ast    

Birch Run varsity boys came out flat against host North Branch Tuesday losing 54 to 43. We picked up the momentum late in the 3rd quarter when we were down by 15 points, and in the 4th quarter cut the deficit to 8 points -but couldn't get any closer. The boys played hard right to the end, but we have to be ready and focused before the game and throughout to be competitive. Gage Martinus finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Jaxon Martinus had 5 assists. Gage Martinus- 18 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl Connor Mausolf- 7 pts, 3 reb, 1 stl Jaxon Martinus- 6 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 defl, 1 blk Mason Mellott- 6 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast Christian STebner- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast 1 defl Trent Dalak- 2 pts, 2 reb Colton ELliott- 2 pts Keegan Hale- 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 defl, 1 blk Nolan Cherry- 1 reb, 3 ast  

The Birch Run boys lost to host Swan Valley Friday night 57-68. The Panthers trailed by 3 points (15-18) after the first quarter, 10 points at half-time (28-38), 10 points after the third quarter (44-54), and lost the game by 11 points. The Panthers played hard and had good hustle, but too many turnovers throughout the game cost us opportunities to score points and at the same time gave Swan Valley more opportunities to score. Trent Dalak had a double-double- scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead the Panthers in both categories. Jaxon Martinus led the team with 4 assists and 3 steals. The team continues to work hard and though our win-loss record is not good, we are learning and continue to improve! Trent Dalak- 18 pts, 10 reb, 1 stl Jaxon Martinus-12 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 3 defl Gage Martinus- 10 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl Connor Mausolf- 6 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 defl Mason Mellott- 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 defl Keegan Hale- 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast 1 stl, 1 defl Christian Stebner- 3 pts, 1 reb Colton Elliott- 1 reb Nolan Cherry- 2 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 1 reb

Birch Run varsity boys lost a close game to visiting John Glenn Tuesday. However, the final score of 47-56 did not reflect the closeness of the game. The lead changed several times throughout the game with Birch Run holding a 1 point (41-40) lead after three quarters of play. But a drop off in our shooting percentage in the fourth quarter cost the Panthers the game. Another factor was the disparity in free throw shooting with John Glen making 19 of 26 attempts (73%) in the game [of which they sank 11-16 in the fourth quarter] while Birch Run shot 7-16 (43.7%) for the game. Gage Martinus led Birch Run's scoring with 22 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, while Randy Lenhart led with 4 deflections and 2 blocked shots. Jaxon Martinus had 3 assists and 3 steals.  Gage Martinus- 22 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 defl Christain Stebner- 7 pts, 1 reb, 2 stl, 1 defl, 1 blk Jaxon Martinus- 6 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 defl Keegan Hale- 4 pts, 2 stl Trent Dalak- 3 pts, 1 defl Mason Mellott- 3 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 stl, 4 defl, 2 blk Colton Elliott- 2 reb Connor Mausolf- 1 reb  

The varsity Panthers hosted the Bridgeport Bear Cats Friday, and lost the battle 35-74.  Bridgeport came out with red-hot shooting, and led 29-10 after the first quarter, by 25 points (19-44) at the half, and by 31 (26-57) at the end of the third. Birch Run had a rough night as we played hard but came up short. Jaxon Martinus  scored 13 points and Gage Martinus had 5 rebounds to  lead the Panthers. We play Bay City John Glenn on Tuesday Jan 10th @ home @ 7:00 PM. Jaxon Martinus- 13 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl, 1 defl Gage Martinus-  6 pts, 5 reb, 1 stl Mason Mellott- 6 pts, 2 reb Randy Lenhart- 4 pts, 1 reb Connor Mausolf- 3 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast Christain Stebner- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 defl Nolan Cherry- 1 pt, 1 ast, 1 defl Keegan Hale- 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 defl Simeon Martin- 1 ast Owen Quinnan- 1 stl    

The Panthers dropped a close game to Millington Tuesday by a score of 59-52.  We were tied 13-13 after the 1st quarter and behind by 4 points (26-30) at the half, and after 3 quarters trailed by 3 points (37-40). With 5:14 left in the game, we led by 2 points 46-44, but too many missed shots underneath and Millington's hot  shooting in the fourth - (19 pts) was too much for the Panthers to overcome. Jaxon Martinus paced the Panthers with 21 points, along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Trent Dalak also grabbed 6 rebounds, while Randy Lenhart had 2 blocked shots.   Jaxon Martinus- 21 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 defl Mason Mellott- 9 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 defl, 1 blk Christain Stebner- 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 defl Trent Dalak- 4 pts, 6 reb, 1 stl Nolan Cherry- 3 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl Keegan Hale- 2 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl, 2 defl Chase Stewart- 2 pts, 3 reb, 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 blk Connor Mausolf- 1 pt, 1 reb, 1 ast Simeon Martin- 1 defl

Birch Run varsity boys traveled to St. Clair Community College in Port Huron Wednesday.  While it was a good experience for Birch Run to play in a college gymnasium, we lost a tough battle with Yale High school 51 to 38. The Panthers played with Yale for 3 1/2 quarters. Down by just 1 point at half-time (22- 21), we found ourselves down by 7 going into the 4 th quarter (36-29).  Birch Run just couldn't get the shots to fall in the fourth as we began to tire.  Jaxon Martinus led Birch Run scoring with 13 points. Chase Stewart had 5 rebounds.    Jaxon Martinus- 13 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 defl Christain Stebner- 7 pts Connor Mausolf- 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 stl, 1 defl Keegan Hale- 4 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl Mason Mellott-  3 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast Chase Stewart-  2 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast Trent Dalak- 2 pts, 4 reb Colton Elliott- 2 pts Nolan Cherry- 1 pt, 3 reb, 2 ast  

Birch Run Varsity Boys Basketball had a great effort throughout the game against visiting Bay City Central but came up a little short 58-67. At the end of the first quarter, we were down by only four points 11-15 and trailed at halftime trailed by 10 (23-33). The Panthers fell a little further behind by the end of the third quarter 37-51.  At the 4:15 mark in 4th quarter, Birch Run hustled and played a solid pressure defense to bring the game within 3 points, 53-56. When the time ran out, the team fell short 58-67. Gage Martinus topped the Panther scoring with a career high of 22 points and he led the team with 4 steals. Scoring also in double figures were Mason Mellott with 13, and Jaxon Martinus with 12 points. Trent Dalak led the team with 6 rebounds.   Gage Martinus 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals  Mason Mellott 13 points, 1 rebound, 3 deflections, 1 block Jaxon Martinus 12 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 deflections Trent Dalak 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 deflection Chase Stewart 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 deflection Keegan Hale 2 points, 3 steals, 1 deflection Connor Mausolf 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 deflection Christain Stebnar 1 assist  

Birch Run Varsity boys played hard against host Freeland Friday, but came out on the losing end 77-48. Though the score was lopsided, the game was closer than the score indicates. We were only down by 10 points (40-30) midway through the third quarter; had it not been for the Falcon's 12 made three-pointers (sunk by 5 different players) the outcome could have been different. I am proud of how hard the Panthers battled, and the team's determination no matter what the score is. We have a ways to go, but the guys are learning a new system and improving each game. Jaxon Martinus scored a career-high 32 points, Gage Martinus led the team in rebounds with 5. Our next contest is home against Bay City Central on Thursday Dec 22nd. Jaxon Martinus- 32 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl Christian Stebner- 5 pts, 2 reb Gage Martinus- 4 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast,1 defl Conner Mausolf- 3 pts, 2 reb, 3 defl Chase Stewart- 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast Colton Elliott- 2 pts, 2 reb Keegan Hale- 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 3 defl, 1 blk Mason Mellott- 1 reb, 1 defl, 1 blk Trent Dalak- 1 reb  

Michigan Lutheran Seminary's 3-point shooting and balanced scoring attack proved to be too much for the Panthers to overcome Tuesday as we lost 56-42 to the visiting Cardinals. Birch Run trailed by 5 points (24-19) at halftime, but came out strong in the third to take a 29-26 lead midway through the third quarter only to have it crumble as MLS hit some key shots and gained momentum. The Panthers fought hard, but could not pull out the win. Jaxon Martinus led Panther scoring with 14 points, and had 5 steals. Gage Martinus grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. Conner Mausolf had 6 deflections. We travel to Freeland on Friday for a 7:00 contest.    Jaxon Martinus- 14 pts, 2 reb, 3 asst, 5 stl, 6 defl Chase Stewart- 8 pts, 3 reb Gage Martinus- 7 pts, 9 reb, 3 asst, 1 stl, 2 defl Mason Mellott- 6 pts, 2 defl Keegan Hale- 3 pts, 1 reb, 2 stl, 2 defl Connor Mausolf- 2 pts, 3 reb, 1 asst, 6 defl, 1 blk Trent Dalak- 1 pts, 1 stl. 1 defl Randy Lenhart- 1 reb, 1 blk Nolan Cherry- 1 defl Owen Quinnan- 1 defl      

Alma started the game firing on all cylinders (inside and out) hitting five 3's in the first quarter, putting Alma up 29-5 at the end of the first. Birch Run Panthers played hard and showed good determination right to the end, but Alma's size and strong shooting prevailed 68-33. Jaxon Martinus lead Birch Run with 13 points, Gage Martinus scored 11 points, while Conner Mausolf  had 4 rebounds and Keegan Hale had 6 steals. Alma is one of the top teams in our league, we will learn this experience and become a better team. Jaxon Martinus- 13pts, 1 reb Gage Martinus- 11pts, 2 reb, 1 asst, 2 defl Chase Stewart- 4 pts Randy Lenhart- 3 pts, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk Conner Mausolf- 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 defl Keegan Hale- 2 reb, 6 stl, 4 defl Trent Dalak- 2 reb, 1 defl, 1 blk Mason Mellott- 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 defl Colton Elliott- 1 reb Christian Stebner- 2 defl  

Birch Run varsity boys opened their season at home with a win over Unionville-Sebewaing 57- 37. The Panthers started the game strong- taking an 8 point (17-9) lead into the second quarter and building on that for a 12 point (29-17) halftime score. We led by 23 points going into the 4th. Birch Run had 3 players in double figures; Gage Martinus led the team with 14 points and 9 rebounds followed by Jaxon Martinus with 13 points and 5 assists. Trent Dalak had 10 points. The team put in a solid performance for the win. The Panthers travel to Alma Friday December 9th for a 7:00 PM contest.   Gage Martinus- 14 pts, 9 reb, 3 asst, 2 stl, 1 defl Jaxon Martinus- 13 pts, 3 reb, 5 asst, 2 stl, 1 blk Trent Dalak- 10 pts, 7 reb Connor Mausolf- 8 pts, 3 reb, 3 asst, 2 stl, 2 defl Mason Mellott- 4 pts, 1 reb, 2 stl, 1 defl Keegan Hale- 3 pts, 1 reb, 1 asst, 2defl Chase Stewart- 2 pts, 3 reb, 2 asst Owen Quinnan-2 pts, 2 reb Christian Stebner- 1 pt, 1 asst, 1 defl Colton Elliott- 2 reb Randy Lenhart- 1 blk