It was a special night in Cheboygan as an all-time great team was honored while the current Cheboygan girls delivered an excellent display on Friday.
CHEBOYGAN — On a night when Cheboygan High School honored one of its all-time greatest basketball teams, the current Cheboygan girls went out and had a stellar performance.
Sparked by excellent all-around team play, the Chiefs cruised to a 56-32 victory over Charlevoix in a Northern Shores Conference matchup on Friday, Jan. 16.
Here’s a recap from a memorable night in Cheboygan.
Chiefs put on complete display
Right from the opening tip, the Chiefs (4-4, 2-2 NSC) got after the Rayders (1-7, 0-5) by forcing several turnovers and executing well offensively. By the end of the first quarter, they held a 21-5 lead.
Keying Cheboygan’s offense were junior Cloee Rupp and sophomore Estella Redding, who netted 14 points apiece and were strong on both sides of the floor. The Chiefs also received productive nights from seniors Olivia Patrick (seven points) and Addison Ptasnik (six points), a pair of guards who set the tone with their aggressiveness and defense.
“I think we were really just talking about coming out aggressive, especially in our press,” Patrick said. “I know that’s something we’ve been working on lately. The last game we were kind of a little timid with it, so we wanted to be aggressive. We’ve been struggling with our shooting a little bit, so we wanted to get some nice shots and be aggressive with our shots. We’re definitely improving every week.”
Redding has breakout night
Rupp’s been a consistently solid player throughout the campaign, but Redding also had herself a breakthrough performance by hitting a career high in points and being efficient in all areas.
Not only did Redding show she has plenty of potential, but she also displayed a fearless approach, which Cheboygan coach Walter Hanson praised.
“She’s tough, she’s a tough defender,” Hanson said. “She grabs the ball and goes up really strong, and she’s a gym rat, so she’s only going to get better.”
The Chiefs were rounded out by six-point games from Diem Schley and Elise Markham, while Caleigh Easter added three points.
Ayla Kemp’s 16 points paced the Rayders, who received eight points from Ella Boss.
Cheboygan continues conference play when it heads to Boyne City on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Reunited again
What made Friday night truly memorable was the return of the 2005 Cheboygan varsity girls basketball team, which became the first team in program history to reach the state semifinals 20 years ago.
Just about the entire Cheboygan team was on hand, including former head coach Jason Purcell, who spoke during a halftime ceremony that honored the '05 Chiefs.
“I can’t believe it’s been 20 years, but 20 years ago this program and these girls — they reached heights that few ever get to do,” Purcell said. “The ‘05 team didn’t just win games, they made history, advancing to the final four and putting Cheboygan girls basketball firmly on the map in a way that I think still inspires a lot of us today.”
Many were thrilled and inspired to see the history-making Cheboygan team reunite, including the current Cheboygan girls, who embraced the ‘05 Chiefs before and following the ceremony.
“It’s kind of funny because I recognized a lot of those people and I didn’t even realize that they had such an impressive achievement like that,” Patrick said. “It’s cool to see someone from here who did that.”
More on the 2005 Cheboygan girls basketball team will be featured in the Daily Tribune next week.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan girls basketball wins, 2005 Chiefs reunite after 20 years
Category: General Sports
