The Wayland boys fell fr
om fourth to seventh in this week’s Michigan Associated Press state basketball Class B rankings and the Wildcat girls remain at No. 5.
Making things even more interesting is that there will be a showdown at the ‘Cats Corral Friday evening between coach Marty Howard’s outfit and No. 3 Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Both teams are undefeated and are longtime O-K Gold Conference rivals.
It was three years ago that the two teams split their two regular season games and then met again in the quarterfinals, where the Cougars prevailed. Catholic Central has a pair of sophomores who already have indicated they will play college ball at Western Michigan University.
The boys, smarting from a tough 63-60 loss to Middleville Thornapple Kellogg last Friday, will play at 6 p.m. Friday at home, leading up to the showdown.
Interestingly, TK, which remained unbeaten this season by upsetting Wayland, is not included in teh top 10 state-wide AP list. Otsego, a team Wayland defeated a week ago, fell out of the top 10 entirely after being tabbed at No. 7 the week previous.
BOYS — Class B
1. Milan (74)
2. Godwin Heights (62)
3. Yale (57)
4. Detroit Henry Ford (56)
5. New Haven (48)
6. Flint Northwestern (45)
7. Wayland (38)
8. Battle Creek Harper Creek (36)
9. Goodrich (30)
9. Alma (30)
Others receiving 12 or more votes: Benton Harbor (6-3) 25, Otsego (7-2) 21, Lakeview (8-0) 13, Frankenmuth (6-1) 13.
GIRLS — Class B
1. Midland Bullock Creek (70)
2. Detroit Country Day (68)
3. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (67)
4. Haslett (61)
5. Wayland (55)
6. Goodrich (51)
7. Williamston (44)
8. Dearborn Divine Child (33)
9. Manistee (31)
10. Frankenmuth (26)
10. Benton Harbor (26)