BASKETBALL: Saline Wins on Seniors Night, Finishes Regular Season at 13-7

The Saline High School basketball program closed out their 2019-20 regular season with a super-trifecta of victories Thursday night.  The varsity and junior varsity programs took on the Redford Union Panthers, with varsity winning by a score of 51-42, preceded by the JV squad crushing of the Panthers 78-51. 

Redford Union does not have a freshman team, so the Hornet freshman team played the Ann Arbor Pioneers for the third time this year.  In a game with several lead changes, the Hornet freshmen beat the Pioneers 42-40.  Guard Samuel Miller grabbed an offensive rebound with 0:02 seconds left in overtime and threw up a shot which bounced around the rim and rolled through to clinch the win.

For the varsity, it was senior night.  It was a chance for the four seniors on this year’s team to be recognized in front of a roaring group of students, family and friends.  Co-captains Trevor Arico and Griffin Yaklich, ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’, along with Tyler Belskus and Joshua VerWoert were recognized in a pre-game ceremony. 

The four seniors started the game, along with junior forward Anthony Ferarri, to the delight of the partisan home crowd.  Yaklich started the Hornet scoring with two hard drives to the net to tie the score at 4-4.  Yaklich then passed to Ferarri who laid it in to give Saline a 6-4 lead with 5:36 left.

Arico hit two jump shots, the second coming with 0:47 seconds left in the quarter to up the Saline lead to 10-6.  Junior guard Jaden Pickett put the exclamation point on the quarter when he sank a three-point shot with 0:02 seconds left.  Saline led 13-6 at the end of the first eight minutes.

The Hornets applied intense defensive pressure and forced four second quarter turnovers, outscoring the Panthers 12 – 6.  Arico got the scoring started when he drove the lane to make a short pull-up jump shot.  Junior guard Derek Caldwell followed a minute later hitting a jump shot and converting a foul shot to up Saline’s lead to 18-8. 

Yaklich sank two more lay-ups on hard drives to the net to extend the Hornet lead to 22-8.  Ferarri sank a free throw and then a minute later grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up and in to send the Hornets to the locker room at the half, leading 25-12.

Saline came out to start the second half with a 14-2 run, to increase their lead to 39-14 with 4:18 left in the third quarter.  Belskus started the scoring when he hit a short jumper from the side of the hoop.  Yaklich then converted two drives to the net and sank a free throw.

Caldwell added a three-pointer, followed by a jump shot by Arico and another two points from Yaklich and the Hornets were up by fifteen mid-way through the third quarter.  Belskus closed out the scoring when he took a nice pass from Yaklich and laid it in to end the third quarter with Saline on top 43-22.

The fourth quarter, Saline Head Coach Jacob Fosdick substituted freely.  The starting seniors left the game early and watched from the bench.  With four minutes remaining, Fosdick put the four seniors back in to allow each to exit the game and be recognized by the crowd.  Belskus hit three free throws to give Saline a 48-29 lead. 

Then Fosdick sent subs into the game, one at a time, as each senior exited the game for the last time.  The students, family and friends provided each senior with a loud, standing ovation.  The final score was 51-42 but the game really wasn’t that close.

The Hornets were led by Yaklich’s 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists; Trevor Arico had 8 points, 3 rebounds & 3 assists; Tyler Belskus 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist; Anthony Ferarri 7 points, 6 rebounds & 1 assist; Derek Caldwell 6 points, 3 rebounds; Jaden Pickett 4 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist; Eli Trese had 1 point.

With the win, the Hornets end the regular season with a 13-7 record, 5-5 in the SEC Red Division.

Following the game, Coach Fosdick reflected on the season and his four seniors.  He said each has had to overcome some adversity.

“Josh (Joshua VerWoert) suffered a serious injury that kept him from playing for two years.  He came out his senior year and worked hard every day in practice.  I think he is one of the toughest kids in Saline.”

“If someone said two years ago that Tyler Belskus would start every varsity game in his high school career, I would have thought they were nuts.  But Tyler has really matured and has delivered some key plays for us this season.”

“This season was the first full year that Trevor (Arico) has been healthy and everyone has been able to see what he can do.  He has an amazing work ethic and has become a vocal leader of this team.  Kids look to him to help them through tough spots.”

“Griffin’s (Yaklich) family moved to Texas so he has not had his mom and dad around him every day.  That is tough but Griffin has been amazing this year with his focus and dedication.”

Saline seniors Griffin Yaklich, Tyler Belskus, Josh VerWoert and Trevor Arico talk about their time in Hornet basketball and what's in front of them. pic.twitter.com/RLBAyVBJ8i

— TheSalinePost (@TheSalinePost) March 6, 2020

Fosdick also reflected on the season.  “I have stressed to the team about playing your best basketball in March and that is what we are doing.  We have won five in a row, seven of the last eight.  Are only loss being to Huron and we play them on Monday.  We will be ready,” Fosdick said.

Saline hosts the district games which begin on Monday.  Saline will take on the River Rats of Ann Arbor Huron at 5:30 p.m.  In the 7 p.m. game, Lincoln will play Ann Arbor Pioneer.

Saline seniors Griffin Yaklich, Tyler Belskus, Josh VerWoert and Trevor Arico talk about their time in Hornet basketball and what's in front of them. pic.twitter.com/RLBAyVBJ8i

— TheSalinePost (@TheSalinePost) March 6, 2020

And so, for the last time for the 2019-20 regular season:

THE SALINE POST THREE STARS:

1st Star:  Trevor Arico, Griffin Yaklich, Tyler Belskus Joshua VerWoert

2nd Star:  Anthony Ferrari, Derek Caldwell, Jaden Pickett, Nicholas Dils, Eli Trese

3rd Star:  Cooper Fairman, Nathan Holmberg, Luke Rykard, Sullivan Schnorr

For only the 2nd time going back to at least 2009, the Hornets posted 13-win regular season. Coach Fosdick on the upcoming tournament. pic.twitter.com/UFEuCFH7ba

— TheSalinePost (@TheSalinePost) March 6, 2020

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