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	The Ypsilanti Courier A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Varsity racks up two wins

Varsity squad 4-on-4 on the season

By Bruce Mason, Special Writer

PUBLISHED: January 18, 2007

It was a nice week for Ypsilanti varsity basketball.

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On Jan. 9, Ypsilanti defeated Detroit Community, 61-56. On Friday, they defeated Detroit Consortium Prep, 59-49.

The varsity squad is now 4-4 on the season and 1-0 in the Mega Red.

"We could very well be 8-0," Ypsilanti coach Steve Brooks said. "That's what happens.

"I don't think we've had the same lineup every game."

Why? Injuries?

"No, just youth," said Brooks, who starts one senior on a team that carries four juniors and five sophomores.

That one senior is guard L.J. Fraser, who scored 26 against Community, which is a team that is ranked No. 1 in Class C. He and the rest of his teammates held Community All-State point guard Chase Simon to 17 points, who came into the game averaging 26 per contest.

Against Consortium Prep, sophomore forward Donald Spencer scored 20 while junior forward Terry Lopez added 11.

Junior guard Torin Burns has been good, too.

"He's been the spark for the whole team," Brooks said. "Pretty gifted kid that's starting to come into his own."

Ypsilanti will face Willow Run on Tuesday and Dearborn Heights Robichaud Friday, with the latter being a team ranked in the top 20 regardless of class, Brooks said.

The teams Ypsilanti will face this week are part of a pretty demanding schedule set up by Brooks. He does that on purpose to properly prepare his athletes for college.

During winter break, the team played in a tournament at Saginaw Arthur Hill, where players faced Detroit Finney, and where they were seen by nearby colleges such as Saginaw Valley State and Central Michigan University.

Brooks also set up his team to play at Muskegon Heights, which he labeled as the "best basketball city," with "sellout, hostile crowds."

At Muskegon, Brooks' athletes were seen by nearby colleges such as Western Michigan University and Ferris State University.

Brooks moves his players around, and gives them a chance to be seen by everyone around the state.

"It's hard for colleges to find kids who play on the defensive end," said Brooks. "Every senior I've had that wanted to go to school is in college."

Brooks has been coaching at Ypsilanti for four seasons, and nine kids he has coached during that time frame are now playing at college. And now he wants to lead this group of players to the college ranks as well.

"They're great kids," he said. "They're great citizens. They play with a lot of aggression."

Bruce Mason is a freelance sports writer for View/Courier publications. He can be reached through editor@ypsilanticourier.com.